One Last Theft
by sirensbane
Summary: Artemis Fowl makes the biggest mistake of his life when he decides to steal from Seto Kaiba. And when the fairies get involved, well...
1. Chapter 1

"One last theft, old friend," said Artemis Fowl, age 14, as he turned from his computer. "Then I shall turn my gaze to more legal pursuits."

"You've said that before," Butler said doubtfully. "Many times."

A flash of irritation crossed Artemis' face. "I admit that I have said something similar in the past, Butler, but this time is different. When this is over, I shall have enough gold to maintain the family fortunes for years to come."

He sighed in a rare moment of weakness. "With Father's return, it has become more and more difficult to keep my activities hidden. I cannot get his words out of my head."

'_But things are different now. I intend to seize the day. Be the hero that every father should be. And what about you, Arty? When the moment comes, will you take your chance to be a hero?'_

Butler cleared his throat in the awkward silence. "So who are we robbing?"

Artemis turned back to the computer, relieved to have been interrupted from his disquieting thoughts. "The CEO of a computer software company. The company has branches all over the world, including Ireland. Experts estimate yearly profit at about fifty billion American dollars."

"That's quite a haul," Butler commented.

Artemis smirked. "What we're after is not gold, but information. Once we break past the encryptions, we will have access to the blueprints for all their latest projects. The patents alone would net the Fowl family billions. And I imagine that the competition would pay dearly to get their hands on any number of the company's files. The net gain could potentially be as great as it would be if we had access to an entire year's profits."

"And what is the name of this unlucky CEO?" Butler asked.

Artemis double-clicked on a link. A picture came up of a young man dressed in an outrageous white trench-coat. Bright blue eyes stared directly at the camera from under slightly shaggy brown hair. He was tall and slender and his face was fixed in a permanent scowl.

"This is the man," Artemis said, leaning backward slightly so that Butler could examine the picture.

"Seto Kaiba."


	2. Chapter 2

"I wanted the prototype completed yesterday." The voice was the essence of icy calm, but the man facing it cowered, whimpering. The voice continued, still deathly quiet. "Why do I pay you, Fleming?"

The man opened his mouth once, thought better of it, closed it again, and finally stammered, "Please Mr. Kaiba sir, give me one more chance! I promise I will not disappoint you again."

"No," Seto Kaiba said. "You won't." He raised a hand.

Fleming let out a sound almost like a sob. Kaiba eyed him in disgust for a moment before speaking to the guard who had materialized at Fleming's shoulder.

"Escort him out of the building." He turned to Fleming. "And if I ever catch even one of your toes edging over the property line…" He trailed off, letting Fleming's imagination finish the sentence for him. The man gulped. The guard grabbed Fleming's elbow and led him out, shutting the door behind him.

With a sigh, Kaiba sat back in his chair and rubbed his forehead with his fingertips. Though he hated to admit it, he had changed. Since the duel with Dartz, Seto had found it harder and harder to maintain the merciless businessman persona. A businessman he certainly was…but merciless? No, Seto Kaiba had a heart; it was just buried under meters of ice.

Moving almost mechanically, he reached for his coffee cup and drained it. The dregs tasted bitter. No, he realized, the problem went back further than that. Since Battle City, things had been different. KaibaCorp was fully recovered from the Dartz incident, just emerging from the incredibly successful KC Grand Championship. He should be proud. But too many questions had arisen since Battle City, and too many of his beliefs had been challenged. He was exhausted, confused, and as a result, extremely bad-tempered.

So far, no one had noticed the difference.

Taking a moment to pull himself back together, he reached for the phone.

"Miss Temple, when is my next meeting?" he barked into the intercom.

The secretary, little more than a frightened newbie, managed to squeak, "Artemis Fowl II at four o'clock."

Kaiba sat back and steepled his fingers together just under his chin. _Artemis Fowl. I don't know much about him_… He reached for his laptop and accessed a government intelligence database. Not legal…but then again, he had money. Five minutes later, Kaiba smirked.

"Looks like Mr. Fowl will be providing me with some competition," he said. "Good. I could use the exercise."

* * *

"This meeting is not a good idea, Artemis," Butler warned his ward.

"Relax, Butler," Artemis said, examining himself in the mirror. "I want to get his measure." He straightened his tie. "Some say that he's a genius. I want to see if the stories are true."

"Can't stand the competition?" Butler asked grimly. "Think, Artemis. If you meet with him, you are added to his list of suspects when his company is robbed!"

Artemis scowled. "I _have_ thought this through. KaibaCorp's computers are protected by the most advanced technology I've ever seen. I will not be able to establish the link without being physically present in the building."

"I don't like this, Artemis," Butler growled. "This could get very dangerous, very quickly."

"That's what I have you for," Artemis said dismissively, examining the tie again. "You can protect me."

"I can't protect you from yourself," Butler muttered, but if his young ward heard him, he gave no sign.

"Besides," Artemis said briskly. "Mr. Kaiba will be returning to America in a matter of days. This is my last chance to visit the KaibaCorp building without suspicion and gain access to the main computers."

"There are so many ways this could backfire, Artemis," Butler argued, though he knew he was wasting his breath.

For the first time, Artemis smiled. Only years of training kept Butler from taking a step back. "I know. That's what makes it interesting."

* * *

"Julius, I think we've got something here."

"Don't call me Julius." Commander Root leaned over the back of Foaly's chair, his fingers dimpling the material, his beet-red face inches from the screen. A lit cigar was clamped between his teeth. "What have we got?"

Foaly wrinkled his nose. "Don't breathe smoke on the screens, Commander. They're very expensive."

Root stared at him for a split second, exhaled one last burst of smoke directly into Foaly's face, and then reluctantly tossed the cigar into the recycling container. A shrill beep made him curse and rush over to put out the still-burning cigar, cursing again as he accidentally scorched his fingers. Foaly watched him with undisguised amusement as the commander threw the cigar, now extinguished, into the container again. With a final curse for good measure, Root stomped back to the computer.

"I repeat, Foaly, what have we got?"

"Are you alright, Commander?" Foaly asked innocently. "Wouldn't want you to injure yourself. What would we do without you?"

Root's expression could have easily peeled paint. "For the last time, Foaly," he ground out through gritted teeth. "What in Frond's name did you want to show me?"

Foaly turned back to the computer, suddenly serious. "We've picked up a magical reading in Dublin. A strong one."

Root shrugged. "So what? A LEP operative in Dublin isn't that unusual. Captain Trouble Kelp and Captain Holly Short are topside as we speak."

"Speaking of that, what are they doing up there?" Foaly turned to look at Commander Root and raised an eyebrow.

"None of your business," Root said firmly. "You called me over to tell me about magical readings from my own operatives?"

"No," Foaly said . "See, here are the readings from Kelp and Holly." He pointed to a pair of tiny red lights projected onto a virtual image of Dublin. "And here," he pointed to another section of the map, "is our mystery reading." The light there was much brighter. In fact, in comparison to those of Holly and Kelp, the new light was blinding.

Root leaned closer. "What in Haven's name is that?" he demanded.

"I don't know," Foaly said snidely. "That's why it's called a mystery reading."

Root glared at him in a way that told Foaly that if did not shut his mouth very, very soon, he would end up pulling sewer duty in Atlantis, armed with nothing more than a pair of tweezers and a empty garbage bag. And his fellow workers would all be trolls. Hungry, particularly foul-tempered _bull_ trolls who had just come off an especially bad mating season.

He shut up.

"Can we get a channel through to Trouble and Holly?" Root asked.

"Sure, but I wouldn't want to interrupt a special black-ops mission." Foaly faked a look of stunned horror. "Think of the paperwork!"

Root ignored him and hit the button. The wrong button. Foaly yelped as a particularly explicit list of centaur-mating tips began to scroll across the screen. He lunged for the controls and minimized the site. Root looked at him, his lips twitching as though attempting to control a smile.

"It's that button," Foaly stammered, flustered, jabbing at a button on the other side of the console. Languidly, Root reached for the button and activated the microphone that would allow him access directly to Holly and Trouble's helmets.

Clandestinely, Foaly clicked the button and exited out of the dating site entirely. _Save it for later_, he told himself sternly.

Root's lips twitched again, but he managed to restrain his good humor long enough to bark into the microphone, "Party's over, boys and girls. Back to work."

A moment later, Holly's face appeared on the screen, accompanied by her voice. "What is it, Commander?" Was it Foaly's imagination, or did Holly sound…relaxed?

"We need the pair of you to check out a magical reading in Dublin. We're sending you the coordinates now." Root nodded at Foaly, who clicked a couple of keys.

Holly's tone was brisk now. "Coordinates received. Will do." She hesitated. "Thank you, Julius."

"You're welcome," Root said. "And don't call me Julius."

Holly's face disappeared, and Foaly was left staring at a blank screen.

_What was that all about? _

* * *

At the moment Root's message was received, Holly was enjoying some quality time above ground. She and Trouble Kelp were on a secluded hill overlooking the ocean, no humans for miles. Only the sun, grass, and most importantly…fresh air.

"How much longer do we have?" Holly asked. She felt lazy and relaxed, a feeling she hadn't had in months.

Trouble propped himself up on his elbow to look at his chronometer. He had been lying on his back, soaking up sun. "Another couple of hours, I guess. The Commander was pretty generous. I still don't have any idea how he explained this jaunt to the LEP."

Holly snorted. "Are you kidding? He probably told them we're on a top-secret mission that requires absolute radio silence."

Trouble laughed. "It's probably a good thing that he did. Can you imagine trying to get clearance to come topside for a vacation otherwise?"

Holly nodded. "That gnome in Customs would probably have detained us for an extra couple of hours, just to make up for the time I _accidentally_ stunned him with a buzz baton."

Trouble raised an eyebrow. "That's a story I haven't heard."

"Pity, 'cause I'm not telling it." Holly stretched her arms above her head and looked up at the sky. "Even a couple of hours in the open air feels good. It makes me wonder why the People abandoned it so easily to the Mud Men."

At that very moment, Holly's helmet began to beep. Throwing a slightly disgruntled look at Trouble, she rolled to her feet and went to retrieve it. Slipping it over her head, she heard the voice of Commander Root in her ear.

"Party's over, boys and girls. Back to work."

"What is it, Commander?" Holly asked, slightly concerned in spite of herself. She should have had a few more hours of down time…

"We need the pair of you to check out a magical reading in Dublin. We're sending you the coordinates now."

Holly nodded as coordinates began to scroll across her peripheral vision. By this time, Trouble had collected his own helmet and was in the process of fastening on a set of wings.

"Coordinates received," Holly said. "Will do." She hesitated, then looked out once more over the water and the deep green of the grass. She could feel the peaceful aura of the place settling into her bones. "Thank you, Julius."

"You're welcome." Then his tone sharpened. "And don't call me Julius."

Smiling, Holly cut the connection. She glanced over at Trouble, now fully geared for flight. He grinned at her through the visor of his helmet.

"Ready to do some flying, Captain?"

She couldn't help but smile back. "Let's break a few speed records on the way to Dublin, shall we?"

"The records set by a certain Julius Root?" Trouble asked, watching her slip into her wings.

Holly's smile turned a little predatory. "Exactly."

Without another word, they activated their wings and raced through the sky towards Dublin.


	3. Chapter 3

From far away, the KaibaCorp tower looked like nothing more than an upside-down blender. But Artemis sincerely doubted that any blender had ever been as heavily guarded as this building seemed to be. From where he stood, he could make out security cameras on every floor and armed guards at the front doors. And that was just what he could see from the street. Inside, he knew, the KaibaCorp building was protected by a horde of security guards, more cameras, and plenty of things that Artemis suspected didn't show up on the blueprints of the building. Which were conspicuously missing.

Not that Artemis had looked, of course.

He glanced over at Butler, who was sitting behind the wheel of the classic black Bentley. "Did you find out what obstacles we may expect to encounter?"

"Just the basics." Butler said dryly. "Infrared sensors, pressure sensors, air pressure sensors, motion detectors, 24-hour surveillance, former FBI agents as security guards…The lab is under 50 feet of solid rock, accessible only by people who own the correct ID card and who can pass a retina scan and thumbprint ID. The weight of all relevant personnel is recorded. Exceed that weight by anything more than the weight of a briefcase and the elevator won't operate."

Artemis sat for a moment, pondering that. "Hardly an insurmountable barrier…"

"And then there's the more advanced security," Butler interrupted. "The computers in the lab have an infinite encryption key that changes every day. Each computer has to be manually reset by Kaiba himself. Until he does so, there's no output from any of the computers, not even from the monitors. The system is on a separate power grid from the rest of the building, so even if we were to knock out the main generators… Artemis, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

A flash of irritation crossed Artemis' face. "Of course I know what I'm doing, Butler." He frowned. "You can have all the clever technology in the world and still fall prey to human weakness."

"And Kaiba's weakness?" Butler asked as they got out of the car and began to walk towards the front door.

Artemis smiled thinly. "He likes to play with his toys."

And with those cryptic words, Artemis pushed open the doors and walked into the lobby of the KaibaCorp tower.

* * *

Holly frowned and adjusted her wings so that she drifted a little farther down the side of the KaibaCorp office building.

"This is where the reading is coming from, Trouble," she said into her helmet mike, reaching out a shielded hand to touch the wall. She could feel the magic sparking through her fingers, radiating out from some point in the building.

"Yep, but I don't know what could be making it." Trouble's wings hummed as he mirrored Holly's downward movement. "Unless the Mud Men have mysteriously acquired magic."

Holly shivered. "I hope not." The idea of Mud Men with magic was almost too terrifying to contemplate. Magic combined with human greed would be a devastating weapon.

Trouble floated to the right. "I'm going to do a scan, see if I can get a clearer view of where the signal's coming from."

Holly nodded, but her eyes suddenly fell on a black car far below and the two Mud Men who were walking to the front door. There was a moment of dropped-jaw astonishment. Quickly followed by foreboding.

"D'Arvit!" Holly swore, punching the side of the building with her diminutive fist. It hurt, but it was better than diving to the ground and stunning everyone with her Neutrino.

"Holly!" Trouble's voice was controlled, but she could hear a note of urgency underneath. "What is it?"

Holly took a deep breath. "Artemis Fowl just walked in the front door."

There was a moment of silence. "D'Arvit."

"Are you lost, little boy?" The receptionist was a very pretty young woman, with bleach-blonde hair and a nice tan. The blue dress she wore fitted her like a glove, accentuating her willowy waist and ample curves. She smiled, showing clean white teeth. Artemis disliked her immediately.

"I am here to meet with Mr. Kaiba, ma'am," he said stiffly. "I have a four o'clock appointment."

Instantly, the receptionist's smile faded, to be replaced with something more akin to fear. Artemis watched her reaction with interest. Apparently, Kaiba had something of a reputation with his employees. "Of course," she said, looking down at a list on her desk. "And what is your name, sir?"

"Artemis Fowl II."

There was the sound of pages flipping, then the receptionist looked up. She smiled again, but it was a tight, strained smile. "Go on up. Mr. Kaiba is waiting for you. His office is on the…"

"Thank you," Artemis said before she could go on. "I'm sure I can find it without an escort. I am, after all, fourteen."

The receptionist stared at him, shocked, and Butler resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He only hoped that Artemis would restrain himself a little more in the presence of Seto Kaiba. Kaiba's reputation was…impressive, to say in the least. The bodyguard strode after Artemis, eyes sweeping the lobby for any sign of a threat.

In the elevator, Artemis took the opportunity to straighten his tie again. A security camera hunched on the ceiling, regarding them with its beady eye.

Butler regarded his charge steadily. The boy did not look nervous, and he did not speak of his plans. Nevertheless, the bodyguard took comfort from the gun concealed inside his jacket. If anything went wrong, he would have to be ready.

* * *

"We've got a problem."

Commander Root cursed. When Holly used that tone, it was a _big_ problem. "What is it?"

He heard Holly hesitate. "We tracked the source of the signal to the KaibaCorp office building in Dublin. The problem is…Artemis Fowl just went inside."

"D'Arvit." A few moments followed of unprintable profanity. But Root quickly brought himself under control. "Have you pinpointed the source itself?"

"No, Commander," Trouble interjected. "I was about to begin a scan when Fowl arrived."

Root thought for a moment. "Continue the scan. Holly, see if you can find out why Fowl is there. You are not to contact him, understand?"

"But Commander, Artemis has been a great help…"

"In the past," Root interjected. "I don't trust him, and until we know why he's there, there's no need to alert him of our presence."

"Commander, remember that Fowl was able to detect us before," Trouble warned. "During the siege."

Root winced. The memory of Fowl's burly bodyguard taking out an entire Retrieval team still rankled, even two years later. "It's highly unlikely that Fowl will have the goggles with him." He hesitated. "Still," he continued gruffly. "Proceed with caution."

"Yes, Commander," Trouble said, but Holly was unconvinced.

"Commander…"

"Holly," Root interrupted, his voice very firm. "I know you have developed an attachment to the Fowl boy, but do not let that prevent you from doing your job."

"Yes, Commander," she said reluctantly. Without another word, she cut the connection.

Root sighed and pulled out a cigar. "Foaly, pull up everything you can find on KaibaCorp." He paused in the act of lighting it. "And while you're at it, see if you can find a connection with Artemis Fowl." He smirked as he shoved the cigar between his teeth. "If you can handle that."

Foaly looked indignant. "Can a dwarf blow a hole in his pants?"

Root said nothing. Some questions just aren't meant to be answered.

* * *

Everything went smoothly until the door guard asked Butler to wait outside.

"Bodyguards are not permitted in Mr. Kaiba's office." The man was burly, with a bulldog face and a perpetual snarl. He faced Butler with a cocky sneer.

Butler just stared at him. The man's smirk slowly faded. Then Butler smiled. It was without a doubt the most terrifying thing the door guard had ever seen. To his credit, the man didn't run away screaming. He did, however, turn several shades of green.

"You can't go in," he repeated stubbornly, his hand drifting towards his gun. Apparently, his sense of duty outweighed his sense of self-preservation. Butler had just stepped forward to straighten the man's priorities when the door slid open.

"Is there a problem?" Seto Kaiba asked. Though his voice was soft, it gave off an unmistakable air of menace.

The guard straightened immediately and made an effort to look important. "Nothing I can't handle, Mr. Kaiba, sir."

Kaiba's eyes passed over the guard as though he did not exist and came to rest on Artemis' face. Artemis was struck by the coldness in that piercing gaze. But he did not look away.

Instead, he extended a hand. "Thank you for agreeing to see me, Mr. Kaiba," he said smoothly.

After a moment's hesitation, Kaiba took it. His grip was hard and cool. His eyes never left Artemis' face. "A pleasure." He gestured towards his open door. "Come into my office." Despite his pleasant tone, the words held an air of command. Artemis smiled; Kaiba was growing more and more intriguing by the second.

He stepped past Kaiba and entered the office. But when Butler made to follow him, Kaiba stepped into the bodyguard's path. Artemis raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed. Though Kaiba was a tall man, he still had to tilt his head upward to look Butler in the face. Few people dared to do that much.

"You'll have to wait outside," Kaiba said curtly. "I wish to speak privately with Mr. Fowl."

Butler glared at him. But apparently, Seto Kaiba was made of sterner stuff than his guard. He didn't even flinch. In fact, Artemis was stunned to see the corners of his mouth twitch. Dismissively, as though he knew that Butler would obey him, Kaiba turned and strode into his office, closing the door in the bodyguard's face.

"You are either a very brave or very foolish man, Mr. Kaiba," Artemis said. "It is not generally considered a wise idea to anger Butler."

"You'll find it is an even worse idea to anger me," Kaiba replied coolly, seating himself behind his desk.

Artemis took the opportunity to look around the office. It was bare, almost Spartan. A few decorations adorned the walls, but the clear centerpiece of the room was the desk and the lone computer that sat upon it. Behind the desk was a wall of windows, letting in the feeble Irish sunshine.

Kaiba leaned forward in his chair and steepled his hands together on the desk. "What can I do for you, Mr. Fowl?"

Artemis returned his gaze to his opponent's face. "I am interested in purchasing shares in your company, Mr. Kaiba. But before I spend my money on KaibaCorp, I would like to see what I am buying."

Kaiba's expression didn't change. "You have read the stock reports. KaibaCorp is thriving. Profits this year have exceeded forty billion dollars. And it is only September." He paused. "But then again, you already knew that, I think."

Artemis allowed himself a small smile. "True, KaibaCorp is flourishing, but this year has not been as successful as previous years. Why?"

"A legal problem arose with one of our stockholders. He has been dealt with."

Artemis let his smile widen. "A problem, Mr. Kaiba? Hardly reassuring."

"As I said, he has been dealt with."

"Dealt with? How so?" Artemis asked, arching an eyebrow.

_We defeated him in a duel using trading cards and Duel Disks._ "I can assure you, Mr. Fowl, the proper procedures were observed."

These cryptic words did nothing to assuage Artemis' curiosity. On the contrary, he was even more intrigued.

"In all honesty, Mr. Kaiba," he said, letting his smile fade and his face grow cold. He stepped forward and laid both hands flat on the desk, leaning in slightly. "I am concerned that your fixation on – what do you call it? _Duel Monsters_? – will prevent this company from long-term success."

"KaibaCorp does not produce solely _Duel Monsters_ merchandise," Kaiba answered steadily. "We are also responsible for revolutionary strides in holographic technology and computer software. All of which is on the website." He eyed Artemis coolly. "Why are you really here, Mr. Fowl?"

Artemis treated him to his very best vampire smile. "I am exploring my investments, Mr. Kaiba."

Kaiba smiled too. It reminded Artemis of a crocodile, smug at the certainty that its prey would not escape its jaws. "Of course."

For no reason that he could see, Artemis felt suddenly uneasy. He forced the feeling down. "I would like to view the labs."

Kaiba stood, once again wearing a perfect poker face. "I'm afraid that won't be possible. There are several sensitive experiments being conducted at this time." He gestured towards the door. "Good day, Mr. Fowl. I hope you will decide to invest in KaibaCorp." Though his words were polite, Artemis could hear the challenge underneath. Kaiba's blue eyes bored into his, asking, _'What are you really up to, Fowl?'_

Artemis ignored the question, returning Kaiba's gaze fearlessly. His eyes held not a question, but a statement: _'You cannot keep anything from me.'_

He held Kaiba's gaze just long enough to let him see it in his eyes. "Good day, Mr. Kaiba." He turned and left, leaving Kaiba standing at his desk. He collected Butler, and entered the elevator in silence. The receptionist smiled at them in the lobby. And still, Artemis said nothing.

It was not until they were safely in the car and pulling away from the KaibaCorp building that Artemis turned to Butler and smiled. "The trap is set. And soon, I will have won."

Butler nodded, but secretly, he worried. From what the bodyguard had learned, with Seto Kaiba, things were rarely so simple.

* * *

Seto Kaiba swiveled his chair around and stared out the window as Artemis' black Bentley pulled leisurely away from the curb. His eyes narrowed.

_You're good, Fowl_, he thought. _Too bad I'm better_. He turned his chair again and stared at the spot on the desk where Fowl had touched it. He smirked.

"I'm of half a mind to let you try," he said out loud. _Amateur._

Suddenly, he sat up straight, his spine prickling. He could feel something in the room with him, something he had not noticed before. At the same time, he had the impression it had been there all along.

_There is nothing there,_ he tried to tell himself. What did he have, after all, but a vague intuition? There was no logical reason for his unease. The interview with Fowl had been interesting, but hardly this unsettling.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming himself and heightening his senses. The feeling intensified. Opening his eyes, he looked around the office.

There, in the corner, a tiny glimmer, a shifting in the air. A heat wave where there was no heat. Anger flared. Had Fowl left something behind? Some sort of device? He felt a strange tightness in his throat, as though he was holding something back that wanted very much to be free. He clenched his fists below the surface of the desk. Yugi's voice was ringing in his ears. _"You cannot ignore your past, Kaiba."_ Was that what he was feeling? Magic?

He shook his head roughly. _There's no such thing!_ he told himself firmly. _That meeting must have just shaken me more than I thought._ Shoving the feeling aside, he turned to his computer and pulled up KaibaCorp's stock prices. He lost himself in the familiar numbers until the uneasy feeling faded to a manageable level. The tightness in his throat eased. Only then did he lean forward and pick up the phone.

"Miss Temple," he barked into the mouthpiece. "Cancel the rest of my meetings for the day." He had a sudden desire to be home. Artemis Fowl and the rest of it would keep.

"But Mr. Kaiba…"

Kaiba waited a moment until she realized who she was talking to. "Yes, sir."

With the click of a few keys, he shut down his computer, checking that all the security programs were in place, grabbed his briefcase, and headed for the door. Before he had taken two steps, he turned back to his desk and pushed his framed picture of Mokuba over the spot that Fowl had touched. With a smile that no one else could see, he turned and left, striding briskly towards the elevator. A quick trip to the lab to shut off the computers and he could go home.

A quiet evening with Mokuba and a few hours extra sleep would do him good.

* * *

Holly stood frozen in her corner until Kaiba had left. She was fully shielded, invisible, undetectable. Yet Seto Kaiba had known she was there.

It had been a simple matter to slip inside the building. Only the lab had any real protection, and a quick call to the receptionist had been enough to gain her entrance. Kaiba's office had been easy to find, and relatively easy to enter. She had listened to and recorded the conversation between Artemis and Kaiba, every word, and had waited until Artemis had gone.

And Kaiba had known she was there.

She could not say exactly how she knew this. He could have easily been glancing idly around his office. His anger could have easily come from remembering something Artemis had said, or even from the onset of a headache.

But it hadn't. The magic that had roiled up from him as he gazed at her had been unmistakable. It sensed a threat. And it was stronger than anything she had ever seen.

She left the building, perturbed. Trouble was waiting for her, but Holly barely acknowledged him.

As impossible as it was to believe, Mud Men had discovered magic.


	4. Chapter 4

"Perfect." Artemis rubbed his hands together with barely suppressed glee as he watched on his computer as his microscopic electronic bug began crawling across the surface of Kaiba's desk.

"What is it?" Butler asked, staring at the screen. He prided himself on being familiar with most forms of electronic surveillance, but this was definitely new.

"A spy bug."

"Spy bug?" For all Artemis' genius, he certainly lacked imagination in naming things.

Artemis tore his gaze away from the computer long enough to glance in Butler's direction. "It is one of my own inventions," he said proudly. "The spy bug can access the data stream of any piece of electronic equipment, provided the data transfer occurred less than twenty-four hours before."

"What makes you think that Kaiba will have anything important on his laptop?" Butler asked. "Laptops are notoriously insecure, even one as advanced as that." He nodded at the computer, which was just now coming into the spy bug's view.

"As I said before, Mr. Kaiba likes to play with his toys," Artemis said dismissively, pressing some keys to send the spy bug right up to the silent computer. "He examines all the prototypes himself before making them available for marketing. My sources say he also reviews the plans for any big projects before they are green-lighted."

"And you think he is foolish enough to do so on his personal computer?" Butler asked incredulously. "He's supposed to be a genius, Artemis."

Artemis shrugged. "He_ is_ a genius, Butler. The security system on that computer is more secure than that of most nuclear weapon command centers. The data transfer only takes a tenth of a microsecond to complete, too short a time for any current technology to intercept." Artemis smiled his best evil grin. "But I'm afraid Mr. Kaiba has not reckoned on fairy technology." He indicated the screen. "I have incorporated elements of the fairy equipment that we…uh…confiscated during the siege of Fowl Manor. My spy bug is now able to break into any security system on earth. I planted it on Kaiba's desk when I leaned across it this morning. It's small enough to be virtually undetectable."

Butler nodded, faintly impressed. Artemis was always so sure of himself. The bodyguard stared at the computer as pages of encrypted files began to flash across the screen. KaibaCorp's files. And then a horrible thought struck him.

"Artemis!" he hissed, reaching across to grab his employer's shoulders. "Why would Kaiba leave his laptop on his desk when he left? It's foolish, and as you said yourself, he's no fool. He expects you to break in!"

Artemis brushed Butler's hand away dismissively. "He expects me to try," he said, scrolling down the encrypted data. "But he doesn't think I'll get very far. He wants to prove that he's better than me." He stared at the data. "I'm willing to bet this isn't even the real data, only a false trail that he's laid just in case someone does make it this far. I have prepared for this."

Butler watched as the data rippled and changed. Now, new lines of encrypted data began to scroll across the screen. Artemis smirked.

"Here we are," he said. "Spy bug, begin download."

There was a shrill beep. Artemis glanced at a corner of the screen. "A virus. How quaint. Apparently, it was released when I accessed the main files." He clicked a few keys. "Fortunately, the spy bug's hardware is equipped to cope with any such problems."

The beeping did not go away. If anything, it grew louder. Artemis stared at the screen. The spy bug's optical sensors were beginning to flicker.

"What?" Artemis breathed. "The spy bug should have been able to deal with the problem."

"Download terminated," said a crisp electronic voice from the computer. "Anti-viral software off line."

Artemis' hands scrabbled for the keys. "I have to disconnect the link to the spy bug before the virus spreads to the main computer."

The beeping grew louder. The spy bug's cameras shuddered wildly, then went black. On the computer screen, a tiny white dragon appeared. It spread its wings and roared.

"Virus has begun downloading and erasing files," said the electronic voice again. "Attempting to reboot anti-viral software."

Artemis' personal files were flickering across the screen almost too fast to see as the virus simultaneously downloaded and erased. Artemis' fingers flew over the keys. Frantically, he typed in a series of commands while Butler looked on. After what seemed like an eternity, the beeping slowed, then stopped. On the screen, the tiny dragon dissolved in a whirl of multi-colored pixels.

"Viral download terminated."

"Thirty-five percent," Artemis whispered. "It managed to download and destroy _thirty-five percent_ of my personal files, Butler. That should not have been possible!" He ran trembling fingers through his hair and looked up at the massive bodyguard. "That spy bug was a mix of human and fairy technology. It should not have been affected by a virus!"

"Perhaps," Butler said. "Mr. Kaiba is cleverer then we thought."

"Perhaps." Artemis forced his voice to return to its normal calm. "At least we have a consolation prize." He pointed at the screen, which was once again displaying KaibaCorp's files. "We got almost all of what we were looking for."

_Then why_, Butler thought, _does it feel like we lost?_

* * *

Kaiba was sitting on his couch, watching a movie with Mokuba, when the phone call came. For a minute or two, Seto just let it ring. Mokuba was half-asleep, and he lay snuggled up against his big brother. Seto stroked his tousled mane of black hair and was rewarded with a sweet, contented smile. To get to the phone, Seto would have to move Mokuba aside. He settled deeper into the couch. If it was an emergency, they would just call him back.

The phone rang again.

With a deep sigh, Seto sat up straight. Mokuba lifted his head to look at his big brother with confusion.

"Seto?"

"I'd better see what those imbeciles want," Seto said, carefully easing his brother off his lap.

"Do you want me to pause the movie for you?" Mokuba asked. Seto could hear the disappointment in his brother's voice.

In all honesty, Kaiba had not been watching the movie for the last hour. "No, it will just take a minute." With a sigh, he stood up, stretched, and went to retrieve the phone.

"This had better be good," he barked into it.

From the couch, Mokuba watched as his brother listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone. Seto's look of irritation quickly gave way to anger and another emotion that Mokuba didn't immediately recognize. Was that…fear?

"What is it, Seto?" he asked, worried, but Seto just waved him off and listened in silence to what the person on the other end of the line was saying.

"How much did he get?" Seto snapped after a moment.

Mokuba listened intently as his brother's voice rose. "Over half? You're telling me he broke through one of the most sophisticated security systems on earth and…" He glanced at Mokuba and lowered his voice.

"I'll be right there," he hissed. "Touch nothing. I don't want you fools contaminating it."

He hung up the phone and turned to Mokuba. "I'm sorry, Mokie," he said, trying to keep his voice from sounding too abrupt. "I have to go to the office. It's an emergency. Will you be alright by yourself?"

"Sure," Mokuba said listlessly, turning back to the TV. "Go ahead. I'll be fine."

Seto grabbed his briefcase and turned to go. At the door, he stopped. For a moment, Mokuba thought he would say something. Then shaking his head, he disappeared.

Mokuba sagged down on the couch and clicked off the movie. "What else is new?" he asked the silent television screen.


	5. Chapter 5

"That's impossible! Mud Men can't have discovered magic." Holly thought Foaly sounded a little desperate. As usual, he was ignored.

"Are you sure of what you saw, Holly?" Root asked her quietly.

"I didn't see anything," Holly said. "I just felt it. I'm sorry that's not much to go on, Commander. But somehow he knew I was there."

"You could have been imagining it," Root said. She knew he was just covering all the bases. His face had gone uncharacteristically pale.

"I wasn't." She shook her head firmly. "I wish I had been."

"Foaly," Root snapped, all traces of hesitation gone. His face had resumed its beet-red color. "Find out whatever you can about this Kaiba. I like to know my opponents."

"Commander," Foaly said, "There's no guarantee that Kaiba will be an opponent. There's no guarantee that he'll ever develop an interest in the People."

"There's also no guarantee that I'll strangle you if you don't shut up right away and get to work," Root said with extremely forced calm. "But who wants to take their chances?"

Foaly got the hint. His nimble fingers flew over the keys as he pulled up databases and cross-referenced sources.

"Well, our boy's certainly not shy," he said a few minutes later. "What's he trying to prove with that coat? I mean, look at it…it practically defies gravity…"

"Foaly." Commander Root's voice was the calm that comes before a homicidal outburst.

"Right," the centaur said hurriedly. "But I still think he's trying to make up for a lack of something. Look at this." He pointed at an image on the screen.

Holly and Root leaned closer. "Is that a..._jet_?" Holly asked, struggling to keep her face neutral. She was largely unsuccessful; she could feel the corners of her mouth twitching.

"Yep," Foaly said. "Apparently, the dragon is his trademark."

Root was also struggling to keep a smile off his face. "So he has a dragon fetish. What else?"

"He garnered considerable fame as _Duel Monsters_ World Champion a couple of years ago," Foaly said, still scrolling down the screen.

"_Duel Monsters_?"

"A card game. He was beaten by a guy named Yugi Mutou, and apparently he's been obsessed ever since at winning back his title. Hosted a couple of tournaments."

Holly raised an eyebrow at Root. "It doesn't sound like this guy is going to be much of a threat. Card games?" Root returned the dubious look.

Foaly clicked another site and whinnied with surprise. "Now we've got something," he said, leaning forward. "Seto was adopted at the age of ten by a man named Gozaboro Kaiba. Gozaboro was a world-famous chess master and arms dealer. Seto beat him in less than twenty moves." The centaur whistled in appreciation. "Four years later, Seto seized control of the company and Gozaboro committed suicide."

Root frowned. "That's a little too convenient."

Foaly nodded. "It was. It left Seto – Kaiba, as he is now known – the sole owner of KaibaCorp. He stopped making weapons and starting making games. Since then, he's built a reputation for being ruthless with the competition."

Holly stared at the screen. "How did his…stepfather die?"

Foaly scanned a few lines of text. "Fell out a window."

"Kaiba killed him." It was not a question.

"Probably." Foaly looked anxiously up at her. "This is not a guy we want having magic, Holly."

"We don't want _any_ Mud Men having magic," Root said. He fixed the centaur with an angry glare. "How come we're only finding out about this now?"

"I don't know," Foaly said. "The reading just appeared out of nowhere!"

"Does he live in Ireland?" Holly asked.

Foaly checked the screen. "No. Domino City. It's in the United States."

"That explains the coat," Holly muttered.

"More importantly, it explains why we didn't see it before," Foaly said. "Too far away."

"I want you to figure out how to track this," Root ordered the centaur. "I want to know if there are any more Mud Men popping up with magical ability."

"I would have to reconfigure my sensors," Foaly said. "It was only luck that I managed to hit on this one."

"Then do it!" Root snapped, the vein at his temple throbbing. "Honestly, Foaly, sometimes I don't know why I pay you."

"Don't get your panties in a bunch," Foaly muttered under his breath as he bent over the screen, but Root ignored him. He had already turned to Holly.

"I guess you already know where you're headed."

Holly nodded and retrieved her helmet from the console. "I'm going to have a little chat with Artemis Fowl."

* * *

An hour later, Holly floated through the front door of Fowl Manor and drifted noiselessly up the stairs. Butler passed by, heading down, but he did not appear to sense her. In any case, he didn't try to stop her. Good.

Artemis sat at his computer, typing a series of commands. Holly could see his face reflected in the screen; he looked stricken. That scared her. She was just trying to decide how to begin when he swiveled around in his seat.

"Captain Short, I presume," he said casually. "Why don't you settle down so I can see you."

Gritting her teeth, Holly settled into the visible spectrum.

Artemis arched an eyebrow. "Don't you want to know how I detected you?"

"Not really," Holly said, settling onto the floor and deactivating her wings. "I want to talk to you about Seto Kaiba."

Artemis looked a little put out. "You presume I know the man."

"Don't try and deny it, Artemis," Holly said. "You met with him just this afternoon."

"So that was you," Artemis said with a small smile. "I suspected."

"I get it, you're amazingly clever," Holly growled. "Moving on."

Fowl was still smirking. "Why this sudden interest in Mr. Kaiba?" He steepled his long fingers under his chin. "It wouldn't have anything to do with the LEP's interest in _me_, would it?"

Holly snorted. "Don't flatter yourself, Artemis. You're not that important."

"And yet you've come to me for help."

Holly squeezed her hands into fists. Something about Artemis never failed to make her angry. "What do you know about Kaiba?"

He stopped smiling and leaned forward. "What do you need to know?"

Holly took a deep breath. "Why did you visit him?"

"I wished to purchase stock in KaibaCorp, as you no doubt heard during our meeting," Artemis replied. "I am extremely careful with my money."

"Don't lie to me, Artemis," Holly warned him quietly. "That's not the real reason."

He was watching her calmly. "You're right. It's not."

Holly folded her arms in front of her and stared right into his blue eyes. For a moment, they simply stared at each other. Then Artemis smirked.

"I went to KaibaCorp because I wanted to rob it," he said, as evenly as though he'd just confessed to jaywalking.

Holly's breath hitched. "And did you?"

Artemis' reply was a single nod.

"Artemis, you idiot!" Holly exploded, unable to curb her reaction. "Kaiba's dangerous! You may have just signed your own death warrant!" She forced her herself to calm down.

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Are you worried about me, Holly?" he asked.

"What is your impression of Kaiba?" Holly asked in return, ignoring his question. She _was_ worried, but fought to quell her reaction.

Artemis sighed. "He's clever, maybe a genius. He's also cold and ruthless. I have no doubt he'll resort to drastic measures to take back what is his." He shook his head. "When I accessed the files, he injected a virus into my system. Quite insidious, by the way."

"A virus?" Holly said, instantly alert. "What files did Kaiba get?"

"What makes you think…" Artemis began, but Holly overrode him.

"Come on, Fowl, you wouldn't have bothered mentioning it if it weren't something serious. Therefore, I'm assuming the virus either downloaded or destroyed some of your files."

"Both."

Holly reeled back. "Both? Artemis, what files?"

"Personal files. Ultimately useless." Artemis' lips pursed in a thin line. "All the same, I would like to retrieve them."

Holly shook her head. "You're going to get yourself killed some day, Artemis," she said.

"This is the last theft," Artemis said. "After this, I'm going to restrict myself to legitimate enterprises."

Holly shook her head. "You say that, Artemis, but I don't think you'll ever be able to give up crime. You're just not strong enough."

Without another word, she disappeared from view. By straining his eyes, Artemis could see a faint heat smudge drifting over the carpet and out the open door of his office. He sat rigidly in his chair staring after Holly for a long time. For the first time in his life, he found himself with absolutely nothing to say.

* * *

Seto Kaiba stood for a moment, illuminated by the light streaming in from the wall of windows behind his desk, his fingers supporting most of his weight. His bright blue eyes were fixed on the place where Fowl had touched the desk during the interview. Abruptly, he pushed himself up and stalked to the other side of the desk. He sank to his knees with a flurry of white trench-coat and looked carefully at the area. He could make out a faint trace of metal.

"Looks like the virus did its work," he muttered, signaling a member of his staff. The man carefully swept the tiny bits of mechanical bug into a bag and sealed it.

"We'll start analyzing this right away, Mr. Kaiba. We'll catch the culprit."

Kaiba said nothing, only allowed his eyes to tick up to meet the guard's. The man flinched and hastily backed away. A faint smile tugged at the corners of Seto's mouth. But then he remembered his interrupted time with Mokuba and it quickly disappeared.

"Out!" he commanded. Instantly, the guards and technicians scattered throughout the room dropped what they were doing and made for the door. None of them broke into a run, but it was a very close thing.

As soon as they were all gone, Kaiba booted up his laptop. The anti-viral program had been restarted, and the results were flickering across the screen. Kaiba keyed in a series of commands, and the screen changed. Encrypted information scrolled across the screen almost leisurely.

_Fowl's files._

"Now, let's see what the great Artemis Fowl keeps in his personal files," Kaiba muttered, typing in another series of commands. The encryptions faded, and the screen went black. Then, slowly, a line of text began to scroll across the screen, written in plain English. Kaiba smirked and leaned forward to read. The lines of text began to flicker by faster as the computer became more adept at breaking the encryption. But Kaiba didn't notice. He was too busy reading the first line.

THE BOOK OF THE PEOPLE

BEING INSTRUCTIONS TO OUR MAGICKS AND LIFE RULES


	6. Chapter 6

Artemis rubbed his eyes and stared at the computer screen. It was late, and the rest of the house was dark. He was exhausted, but he didn't dare fall asleep. As long as Kaiba had those files, the fairy folk were in danger. _ Holly_ was in danger.

He wasn't sure why his mind had chosen now to have an attack of conscience. They'd been coming more frequently recently, and so far, Artemis was not enjoying the experience. He sighed wearily, and his fingers danced over the keyboard as he tried once more to hack into Kaiba's computer.

It was hopeless. Kaiba was not so foolish as to make the same mistake twice. Not even a stray peep emanated from the laptop in his office, and the lab's protections were still impenetrable. Without the spy bug, Artemis was blind and helpless. He hadn't realized how dependent he was on the tiny mixture of fairy and human technology. It was a slightly humbling experience for Artemis; his success had been a mild miracle, hinging entirely on a mechanical device that he no longer had at his disposal. But only slightly.

"Artemis?"

Artemis turned around in his chair. Butler stood in the doorway.

"Hello, Butler," he said wearily.

The bodyguard advanced into the room. Artemis was amused to note that Butler's eyes swept the room instinctively, searching for traps and hidden assailants. "Why are you still awake?" Butler asked, coming to stand at Artemis' shoulder.

"I'm trying to find buyers for the information we stole from Kaiba's computers." He pulled up a website that had been minimized at the bottom of the screen. "So far, these are the two best candidates."

Butler glanced at the pictures with interest, leaning close to see them better. "Maximillian Pegasus and Siegfried von Schroeder," he read. He fixed Artemis with a piercing stare. "What aren't you telling me, Artemis?"

"I am telling you what you need to know!" Artemis snapped, patience worn thin by worry and lack of rest. He forced his voice back under his control. "Don't pry into my plans, Butler."

Butler sighed. It had been foolish to question Artemis, but he couldn't help it. He truly cared for the boy, and the sight of his exhausted face had roused his concern.

"Very well," he said, and turned to go.

"I…apologize for my manner," Artemis said hesitantly. "I have not been myself lately."

Butler found himself thinking that bad manners and a sharp tongue were very much like Artemis, but he didn't voice the idea. "Sometimes," he said quietly, "It helps to talk with someone."

"I don't depend on anyone but myself. No one else can keep up with me."

Butler gestured at the computer. "You and Mr. Kaiba seem fairly well matched," he pointed out.

Artemis gave him a sardonic look. "I'm sure we'd make _great _friends," he said sarcastically. "I'll just wait until he no longer wants to kill me." Butler had nothing to say to that. Artemis sighed. "He got the fairy files, Butler," he said softly after a moment of silence. "All of them."

Butler stayed quiet, absorbing this new information. Artemis leaned forward, steepling his fingers on the computer hutch, staring at the screen. "I shouldn't care about that, Butler. But I keep having these attacks of…conscience. It is most annoying."

For the first time, Butler smiled. "It is part of being human."

Artemis shook his head irritably. "It is _inconvenient_."

Butler stared at him quietly for another moment, then laid his hand on his young charge's shoulder. "I am with you, Artemis," he said. "Whatever happens."

"I know, old friend," Artemis answered softly. "I know." He pulled away from Butler's massive hand. "Now let me return to my work. I must try to find a way to retrieve those files from Kaiba."

Butler didn't argue. He had pressed his luck a good deal already, saying as much as he had. But he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he remained in the doorway, staring at Artemis and the lines of text streaming across the screen in front of him. When he finally left, an hour later, Artemis was still at the computer, fingers flying over the keys.

"Bad news, Julius."

The centaur sounded so serious that Root didn't bother reprimanding him for calling him Julius. It probably wouldn't have any effect anyway.

"What is it?" he asked crisply.

"I've picked up more magical readings across the globe," Foaly said tersely. "More Mud Men with magic."

"How many?" Root asked, preparing himself for the worst.

"Four."

"Four? This is turning into an epidemic!" Root's face turned purple. "Where?"

"Two in Egypt, one in England, and one in Domino City."

"Four," Root muttered. It could be worse. Four could be dealt with. "Domino City? Isn't that where…"

"Kaiba's from," Foaly finished. "Yep." He cast a worried glance in Root's direction. "Commander, the one in Domino City…the reading's twice as strong as Kaiba's. My sensors overloaded just trying to measure the power levels."

Root's face was grim. "Call Holly. Tell her she's taking a trip to Domino City."

* * *

Hours after he had started, Kaiba sat back in his chair. His eyes burned from staring at the screen, and his legs ached from their long period of immobility. But he ignored the discomfort; his eyes were still fixed on the last of Fowl's files, his mind churning with the knowledge he had gained.

He briefly considered the idea that this was all an elaborate hoax set up by Fowl to play with his head. And discarded it. No one invented a lie as ridiculous as this and even remotely expected it to be believed.

But wasn't that exactly what he was considering doing? Kaiba shook his head, as though to rid himself of his moment of weakness. _Magic isn't real,_ he told himself sternly_. _

But he couldn't make himself believe it. He had changed, perhaps too much. Having your soul torn from your body by a millennia-old evil puts things in perspective. And despite evidence to the contrary, Seto Kaiba was not blind. Nor was he stupid. A tiny trickle of belief had been welling up inside him for months now, and only his overwhelming stubbornness had kept him from admitting it. Admitting he'd been wrong.

As impossible as it sounded, Seto Kaiba believed in magic. And here before him was proof. Proof of the existence of another species.

_Won't Mokuba be thrilled?_ He imagined his little brother's excited response, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. The thought of Mokuba was always enough to cheer him up. With an effort of will – something he had never lacked – he forced himself back to the problem at hand. Fairies existed. Magic was real. Now what?

_I know what I would have done, not too long ago_, he thought. He grimaced. Remembering how he had been before Yugi's intercession still aroused in him a feeling of disgust.

Yugi…Gods, did that mean the rest of it was true as well? The Pharaoh, and ancient Egypt, the Millennium Items, and all the rest? Well didn't _that_ hugely complicate his life. Kaiba sighed and rested his head against the seat back, closing his eyes. Like he needed more complications.

Fowl's files were open before him. Now what? What was he going to do with his newly-acquired knowledge?

His eyes snapped open. Before all else, he needed to make Fowl pay. He needed to make an example of him, to show the world why no one messed with Seto Kaiba. Surely, he hadn't changed that much.

And then home. He missed Domino City, missed being in his own bed…at this point, he even missed going to school. He had precious few things in his life that made him feel…_normal_. This discovery wasn't going to help.

He picked up his phone and dialed a familiar number. There were a few rings, and then a sleepy voice answered, "Hello?"

"Mokuba," he began, and then glanced at a clock. What? Four in the morning? Was it really that late? No wonder he was so tired.

"Seto?" Mokuba said, clearly trying to wake himself up. Kaiba could just see him rubbing his eyes, like he had when he was small. "What's wrong?"

Kaiba hesitated. "It's nothing, Mokuba. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Not so fast," Mokuba said, sounding entirely alert now. "You don't call at four in the morning and then hang up without an explanation." There was a hint of steel in the younger Kaiba's voice that reminded Seto uncomfortably of himself.

"We're leaving Dublin," he told Mokuba; there was no point in not telling him now. "We're headed back to Domino City first thing in the morning."

"You woke me up to tell me that?" Mokuba yawned. "Okay, I'll get my stuff packed."

"Sorry," Kaiba said, slightly embarrassed. "I lost track of time."

"You realize that you'll have to explain everything on the plane, right?" Mokuba said with mock severity.

Kaiba smiled, a rare thing. "Yes."

He could almost see Mokuba smile in return. "You know, Seto? I kinda like ordering you around." He made his voice even sterner. "And right now, I order you to go to bed."

Kaiba did his best impression of a nervous employee. "Right away, Mr. Kaiba, sir." Mokuba giggled. Kaiba was still smiling as he hung up the phone.

A smile that faded as he began dialing another number.

"Necros, I have a job for you."


	7. Chapter 7

Mulch Diggums was not a complicated dwarf. He just wanted a hole to live in, some peace and quiet with lots of beetles, and the occasional _Lord of the Rings_ marathon on his giant plasma screen TV. And gold of course. He always wanted gold. And generally the best way to get that gold was to take it away from other people.

Which was why he was now crouched outside the window of a seventeen-year-old boy, carefully melting a hole in the glass with a bottle of dwarf rock-polisher. Normally, Mulch wouldn't do a job like this, no matter what the payoff was. Too easy. Mulch delighted in breaking through high-tech security systems to steal his prizes. This kid didn't even have any dogs, for Haven's sake!

But tonight it was different. Tonight, Mulch was chasing rumors. He had heard from a couple of sources that this particular boy had something of great value worth taking. He had even heard that this item was under surveillance by the LEP, though the fairy police had not raided the house yet. That meant it had value to Julius Root.

Mulch slipped through the hole in the glass, carefully avoiding making any noise. A current of damp air filtered through the space, and the boy turned restlessly in his sleep. Mulch cursed under his breath. He hated English weather! He drew the curtains softly over the hole to keep out future drafts and turned to the bed.

The boy was deeply asleep. His tousled white hair was sprawled across the pillow, wreathing his head in a tangled halo. He was wearing a pair of pajamas that Mulch could swear were actually printed with _fluffy white bunny rabbits_. The Mud Boy's chest rose and fell with a rhythmic motion, and his soft, open face seemed entirely innocent.

The dwarf snorted. _This guy is a complete loser, even for a Mud Boy_, he thought, but he limited himself to that comment. He wasn't here to criticize the boy's fashion sense, or lack thereof. He was here for the loot.

And then he saw it. A golden ring, about the size of a small plate, marked in the center by the Egyptian eye of Horus and studded with a number of golden spikes, hung on a thick chain around the Mud Boy's neck. Mulch noticed that even asleep, the boy's hand crept towards the necklace every few minutes, touching it as though to reassure himself that it was there. Taking the thing might be a bit tricky.

Mulch grinned. From his pocket, he pulled out a small package. He opened it softly and pulled out…silly putty. Working silently, he started to mold the putty into the crude shape of the ring around the boy's neck. He made little spikes and even carved an extremely bad illustration of the eye of Horus. Then, just for fun, he drew a smiley face beneath.

Finally satisfied with his creation, Mulch dribbled a single drop of rock polish on the chain and watched it eat away at the metal. None spilled over onto the boy himself. Within moments, the ring was free. Mulch's smile widened and he reached for the prize.

It was then that the boy spoke. "I wouldn't touch that if I were you," he said, eyes still closed. His voice was different than Mulch would have expected. It was unbelievably harsh, cruel, and cold.

Slowly, the boy let his eyes flicker open. Mulch found himself staring into the calculating gaze of a cobra about to strike. If the eyes were the windows to the soul, then this boy's soul was a barren wasteland. Even the _bunnies_ were starting to look threatening.

"What are you?" the boy asked, voice still quiet and calm. He didn't seem the least bit alarmed that he had a short, very hairy mythological creature squatting on his bedspread.

Mulch couldn't answer. His jaw had locked up. A dangerous situation for a dwarf. The boy grinned lazily as he sat up in bed. "You need to learn to respect your elders," he said.

The dwarf's paralysis broke. "Come off it," he snorted. "You're what? Twelve?" It was only then that he realized he probably should have kept his big mouth shut. The boy's eyes glittered dangerously. He raised a hand.

Mulch dove for the window. There was a bright flare of light, and the dwarf felt his trousers smoldering. The boy threw the covers aside and bounded after the dwarf. He moved surprisingly fast. Mulch ran.

He tore the curtains from the window as he jumped through the hole, falling several feet onto the pavement below. Before his brain could inform him what a painful decision he had just made, he was up and running. He heard a wheezing moan from just behind him. Mulch glanced back. To his horror, he saw a monster dropping from the sill towards him, complete with slavering jaws. The Mud Boy was at the window, his dark eyes narrowed with anger.

There was a patch of dirt a few feet from the window. Without hesitation, Mulch unsnapped his bum flap, unhinged his jaw, and dived into the cool earth. A rotting hand brushed his foot, but could not catch hold. The dirt tasted metallic and sour, probably a consequence of too many Mud Men in too small an area. But Mulch didn't care. His confidence was returning. Nothing could catch a dwarf underground. He was safe.

He was just beginning to angle the tunnel upwards in preparation for returning to his apartment when the full significance of what he had seen hit him.

Mud Men had discovered magic.

* * *

Captain Trouble Kelp landed on the grounds of Fowl Manor, feeling distinctly nervous. The last time he had set foot here, his entire unit had been decimated by Fowl's massive bodyguard. Still, there was no help for it. Only a few hours before, a coded signal had been picked up by fairy sensors. Root and the others had recognized it, and all had moaned inwardly at what it meant.

Artemis Fowl wanted to talk.

Commander Root had grumbled angrily and said some very explicit things about Fowl's mother and a chimpanzee, but in the end, he had given in. The Fowl boy had caused the People, and Root in particular, no end of irritation, but he was a link to Seto Kaiba, and he _had_ helped them in the past. It wouldn't hurt to talk with him.

Which was why Trouble Kelp was now walking up the drive to Fowl Manor, cursing the moment he had ever decided to join the LEP.

His hand strayed towards the Neutrino holstered at his belt. He didn't think he'd need it, though he dearly wanted to sink a few well-placed charges into Fowl's behind. But he liked its comforting weight. He was a soldier, first and foremost.

Trouble began to run his gaze over the front of the house, searching for a means of quiet entry into the dwelling. Then he caught himself doing it and laughed. If this was the same Artemis Fowl that he remembered (and he couldn't imagine Fowl had changed that much), the Mud Boy could already know he was here, despite his shield. Plus, as a fairy, Trouble needed an invitation to enter the house. He remembered the last time he had entered Fowl's house without permission, and winced. The suit he had been wearing at the time ended up being burned, and the helmet had been tossed in the recycler.

The smell of vomit does not wash out.

Trouble hesitated for a moment on the front door step. No guards had appeared to challenge him, and there was no sign of Fowl. So Captain Trouble Kelp did the thing that was the most likely to spark an immediate reaction. He unshielded.

Within moments, he heard footsteps, and the door before him opened. In the doorway, partially shielded from potential gunfire by the heavy oak door, stood the giant who had demolished the LEP Retrieval Squad. Butler. Trouble planted his feet firmly and gazed up at the man, determined to appear confident and in control. He refused to acknowledge, even to himself, how intimidating the bodyguard's monstrous bulk really was.

"What do you want?" the giant demanded.

"I'm here to see Fowl," Trouble said. He was pleased to hear that his voice did not tremble.

"Move aside, Butler," came a soft, cool voice from inside the house. "I wish to properly greet our guest." As the bodyguard moved aside, Artemis himself stepped into view. Just looking at the Mud Boy gave Trouble Kelp the shivers. Artemis' dark hair and pale skin reminded him of a vampire, and the predatory smile did nothing to detract from that image.

When Artemis caught sight of Trouble, a moment of surprise flitted across his face, but it was gone almost before Trouble could be sure it had appeared.

"I give you permission to enter my home," he said, gesturing towards the elaborate foyer beyond. Trouble took a few steps inside, keeping an eye on Butler as he did so. The furnishings were lush, and the gigantic marble staircase was grander than any Trouble had seen before. But rather than awe him, these signs of wealth did nothing more than irritate Trouble. This kid was sitting on millions of dollars in _wall hangings_ while there were hundreds of better uses for that kind of cash.

"I must confess," Artemis said, as he led down the hall and into his study. "I had expected Captain Short or Commander Root."

Trouble stopped dead, forcing Artemis to turn and face him. "Look Fowl," he said. "Let's get something straight. The LEP is not your own personal police force. You might be useful, so here I am, but Holly and the Commander are too busy to cater to your private needs."

Artemis did not seem phased by this speech. "I'm afraid we've gotten off on the wrong foot," he said smoothly. "We should begin with introductions. I am Artemis Fowl II, as you undoubtedly know."

"Captain Trouble Kelp," Trouble said gruffly.

Artemis inclined his head in a slightly regal gesture. "A pleasure."

Mud Boys his age should be wandering around with headphones stuck in their ears and thinking about girls, Trouble thought. Not running a mansion and meeting with fairy police officers.

That reminded Trouble of the reason for his visit. By this time, they had made their way into an elaborate sitting room. Artemis sank gracefully into a high-backed chair, gesturing for his guest to sit on the sofa opposite him. Trouble, after eying the couch and noting how much he would sink down if he sat on it, remained standing, arms crossed. Hopefully, this would encourage Fowl to speed up the proceedings.

"Well Fowl?" he asked, voice as cool and even as he could make it. "You wanted to talk. Here's your chance."

Fowl smirked. "You've begun all wrong, Captain," he said. "Always let your opponent make the first move. Otherwise you give him the advantage."

Trouble was in no mood for this. "I'm not here to play mind games with you, Mud Boy," he said. "If you have something to say, say it. If not, I have more important things to do."

A spasm of…was that…worry? passed across Artemis' blank features. The Mud Boy leaned forward slightly in his chair. "I sincerely doubt that," he said quietly.

Trouble's stomach sank. "What are your plans for getting the information back from Kaiba?" he demanded. "I presume you have a plan?"

Artemis nodded. "By setting up a feed at the KaibaCorp building, similar to the technology utilized by the first spy bug, I should be able to restore the connection and access Mr. Kaiba's computer systems again, despite the security measures he has doubtless upgraded. But it will require some fairy technology."

Trouble frowned. "I don't want you in possession of more fairy technology, Mud Boy," he said. "You've caused enough trouble." Then, before Artemis could speak, Trouble sighed. "But I suppose we don't have much of a choice."

"I'll get started immediately," Fowl said, rising gracefully to his feet. It was only then that Trouble noticed the faint circles under his eyes.

"I'll have to clear this with the Commander," Trouble warned him. He turned, about to find a private place in which to contact Root. But something made him turn back.

"Fowl," he said hesitantly. "How much of a danger do you think Kaiba really is?"

Artemis met his eyes squarely. "I think he has the potential to be one of the most dangerous threats the People have ever faced."

Trouble Kelp felt his heart sink.

* * *

It took the Mud Boy the rest of the morning to assemble the second spy bug. After what seemed like an eternity of tinkering and careful calculations, Artemis held it up, his pale face flushed with the thrill of success. Trouble merely grunted and held the tiny creation up so that Foaly, who was monitoring the entire conversation via helmet monitor, could examine it.

"Some of this stuff should be in the recycling bin," Foaly grumbled, his hairy face filling Trouble's entire field of vision as he zoomed in on the spy bug. Trouble fought the urge to close his eyes before he was permanently blinded. "Still, for a Mud Boy, it's not bad."

Commander Root stepped into the screen, shoving the centaur unceremoniously aside. With the touch of a button, the helmet began to project an image of the LEP officer into Fowl's study so that Root could address Artemis directly.

"So, Fowl," he growled, his face beet- red as usual. "What's the plan?"

Artemis rubbed his forehead. Trouble saw that the circles under his eyes had deepened. "I will need access to KaibaCorp for my spy bug to work," he said. "So, I must find some reason for going there."

"I don't think Kaiba will be pleased to see you, Artemis," Butler pointed out.

Artemis smirked as a plan began to fall into place. "No, but he wants the safe return of his files. If I were to sell them to his rivals, the entire company would lose billons of dollars. Such a move might be enough to put even Kaiba out of business."

"What are you suggesting?" Root demanded.

Artemis shrugged. "Merely that I go to Kaiba and…negotiate. I'm sure we can come to some sort of satisfactory agreement. Perhaps I will not require the use of the spy bug at all. At any rate, it will get me into the building."

"What makes you think that Kaiba will see you?" Root asked.

Artemis chuckled coldly. "Seto Kaiba is the sort of man who prefers to meet his enemies face-to-face. He will see me."

Commander Root was silent for a moment. "One chance, Fowl," he said finally. "That's all you have."

Artemis inclined his head in acknowledgement. Then a truly vampiric smile spread across his face. "Don't you trust me, Commander?"

Thousands of miles underground, Commander Julius Root shivered and cut the connection.

* * *

Artemis ensured that KaibaCorp's files were saved to a separate disk and carefully hidden before he followed Butler towards the doors of the manor. He was preoccupied with his thoughts, going over each stage of his plan and bemoaning the fact that almost everything in it had the potential to go wrong. But there was no time to think up a better solution.

One of the servants near the door of the dining room, a lit cigarette in one hand. Artemis frowned. Smoking was expressly forbidden in the manor; Artemis viewed it as a disgusting habit and disliked the odor it produced. Anyone caught doing it was often dismissed immediately without references. Apparently, the man realized this, for he quickly hid the cigarette behind his back and retreated.

Artemis pursed his lips. Disciplining the man would require more time than Artemis was willing to spend at the moment. He resumed his walk to the manor doors, his mind quickly becoming occupied with other things.

As Fowl disappeared, Necros smiled. Checking down the length of the quiet hallway, he clamped the cigarette between his teeth and headed for the study. He had work to do.

"Mr. Kaiba is not here." The receptionist gave Artemis a pretty smile. She seemed more relaxed than the first time he had seen her. Probably it was due to her boss' absence.

"Where is he?" Artemis demanded, trying to sound like an irritated businessman who believed that other people should rearrange their schedules to suit his needs. It had worked well in the past.

"He departed for Domino City the first thing this morning."

Artemis stared at her, a horrible thought occurring to him. He spun on his heel and snapped at Butler, "To the car, quickly."

Once back in the car, he tersely ordered the bodyguard to return to Fowl Manor immediately. Butler stamped on the gas, ignoring the indignant honking of a car that had been cut off behind them.

"How could I have been so stupid?" Artemis muttered.

"What is it, Artemis?" Butler said. He accelerated past an elderly woman who had to be going at least fifteen miles under the speed limit. He was now maneuvering the Bentley at nearly breakneck speeds, weaving through the traffic. But Artemis did not object.

"As we were leaving the manor, I saw a man smoking a cigarette," Artemis explained. "I was distracted and assumed he was one of the new servants that Mother hired last week."

Butler cast him a sideways glance. "Artemis, I ran extensive background checks on all of the servants coming to work at the house," he said. "Not one of them smokes."

"Exactly." Artemis tapped his fingers on the dashboard impatiently. "Can't you go any faster?"

Butler obliged.

* * *

They returned to find Fowl Manor in flames. Fireman worked busily beside it, spraying water on the blaze, but it had clearly raged too long. The house was all but destroyed. The side of the house where the study was located was the hardest hit. Almost nothing in that area was even recognizable as part of an elaborate manor.

Artemis extricated himself slowly from the car, his pale face flushing with the heat of the fire. "So," he whispered, as the house groaned with distress. "It seems I have underestimated Mr. Kaiba. Believe me, I will not do so again."

"What will you do?" Butler asked quietly. There was little doubt in Butler's mind that Kaiba had arranged the whole thing, and he dearly wished he could somehow turn back time and prevent Artemis from breaking into those files. Would have, could have, should have, didn't. And that was all that mattered. There was no point in looking back now. He could only be grateful that Mr. and Mrs. Fowl were not at home.

Artemis turned to look at him, and even the stoic bodyguard was slightly unnerved by the anger in the young boy's eyes. "I'll go to the source," he said.

"Domino City."


	8. Chapter 8

Commander Root stood before the Council, delivering his report. This shouldn't have occurred. All of the fairies on the bench were quite capable of _reading _a report all by themselves (or at least, Root assumed so). Root shouldn't be forced to waste his valuable time with an oral presentation. But that was the Council for you. Things very rarely made sense.

"Foaly picked up four magical readings, not counting Seto Kaiba," Root said. "The one in Domino City seems to be the strongest."

"Do you have these Mud Men under surveillance?" Councilman Vox demanded shrilly. Root had never seen anyone who looked so much like a ferret. He was slender and his pointed face was dominated by an equally pointed nose that twitched when he was agitated. And now it was twitching like a demented rabbit. Root watched with mingled fascination and disgust.

"I have dispatched an operative to Domino City to monitor the two strongest signals," he said as calmly as he could. "Foaly has identified these as Seto Kaiba and a Mud Boy by the name of Yugi Mutou."

"Do you believe that the existence of these…magic Mud Men poses a threat to the People?" another councilman asked. Root could never remember his name. Absolutely nothing about the man was remarkable, except for his remarkable lack of anything remarkable.

"I do not believe that Yugi Mutou or the other three we have detected are yet a threat to the People," Root answered after a moment. "Seto Kaiba, however, has knowledge of our ways and quite possibly a copy of the Book."

Although they had all heard this before, the Council rocked back, a shocked murmur running around the chamber.

"How did this Kaiba come by the information?" Vox demanded.

Root resisted the urge to roll his eyes. They all knew how Kaiba had found out about the People. It had happened over twenty-four hours ago, for Haven's sake! "He stole it from Artemis Fowl, who has already had some…contact with the People."

This time, the murmur was of outrage. "Fowl has proven a liability," Councilwoman Vinyáya said sternly.

Root said nothing. He had no argument. If he had his way, he would put Fowl in handcuffs and let him spend a few years in Howler's Peak. Wipe that arrogant, insensitive smirk of his face. But Root couldn't do that. By the rules of the People, Fowl had won. They were forced to leave him alone. Now if only Fowl would return the favor.

"Fowl is not the problem right now," Councilman Brug said. "Kaiba is." He reached forward to the panel in front of his chair, and the electronically recorded voice of Trouble Kelp rang through the chambers.

"_Fowl, how much of a danger do you think Kaiba really is?"_

The voice of Artemis Fowl spoke into the deadly quiet. _"I think he has the potential to be one of the most dangerous threats the People have ever faced."_

"Commander," Councilman Hagan cut in smoothly. "At some point, it may become necessary to…_remove_ the threat that this Mud Boy poses. Would you consider yourself prepared to accomplish this, if, of course, further investigation seems to warrant such an action?"

"A fancy way of asking me if I'm prepared to order the execution of a human child," Root said bluntly. A few of the Council members winced. "I can only answer by saying that I will do what is necessary to protect the People. But no more."

They all seemed disappointed by his answer. "Very well, you are dismissed," Councilman Hagan said.

Root left the Council Chambers, his mind churning. As he walked, he wondered if what he had told the Council was the truth. If they ordered him to have Kaiba _removed_, would he be able to do it? To defend the People, certainly, but…Root was still not sure that the Mud Boy posed a threat, despite his questionable background. Kaiba had taken no action in twenty-four hours of surveillance. Perhaps he would do nothing. And if Root did not believe Kaiba was a threat, how could he order his execution?

"Foaly," he barked as soon as he entered the blacked-out Observation Booth. "I want you to put everything you can on tracking Kaiba. I want to know whether or not this guy's going to be a danger to us."

All the while, the question kept turning over in his mind. _What would he do?_

* * *

"The fire investigators have determined that the fire was definitely arson," Butler reported as he hung up his cell phone. At that moment, the two of them were in the Lear jet over the Atlantic Ocean, making their way to Domino City. Artemis was engaged in staring out the window and planning his revenge on Seto Kaiba, and for a moment, he did not register the bodyguard's words. Once he had, however, he sneered.

"Of course. I had no doubt in my mind upon that point."

Butler was not deterred. "They have determined that the fire began in the study. The arsonist used gasoline and a cigarette to start the blaze."

Artemis waved a hand impatiently. "I know all this, Butler. If it were not for this disk," he lifted the golden-covered medallion that hung around his neck, "_All_ my files would have been lost. Is there anything that is _not _readily apparent to even the blindest of detectives?"

Butler smiled. "I believe I know the culprit's name."

Artemis sat up abruptly in his chair, his attention fully engaged. "Tell me."

"His name is Necrophades. Known as Necros by his employers."

"Death," murmured Artemis. "Fitting."

Butler continued. "I have heard of him previously; he is almost a legend in the criminal world. He has managed to pull off several high-profile assassinations, as well as numerous robberies, kidnappings, and other felonies. A bodyguard's nightmare. Though to the best of my knowledge, he has never been convicted or even charged with a crime."

"Remarkable," Artemis said. "How did you identify him?"

Butler pulled a tiny security device from his pocket. "The camera that you constructed from the fairy surveillance equipment managed to register an image. Its casing was somewhat damaged in the fire, but there is still enough resolution to provide us with an identification." His eyes narrowed. "And Necros is someone a man like Kaiba would be likely to hire. Untraceable, since no one has ever been able to assemble a concrete list of his employers."

Artemis took the tiny camera and hooked it up to his laptop. Thank God he had taken it with him to KaibaCorp. A blurry image appeared on the screen. Through some technical maneuvering, Artemis was able to make the picture a little more focused. It showed a nondescript man dressed in a servant's uniform with a head of nut-brown hair and the same color eyes. He did not attract the eye: a perfect quality in an assassin.

"That's the man I saw," Artemis said. "But I'm surprised you were able to connect this man with Necros, if as you say, no one has ever tracked him down."

Butler shrugged. "All things are possible with enough money."

Artemis closed the laptop, deciding he did not need to know who Butler had bribed to get this information. He had what he wanted: ammunition against Kaiba.

"You know, Butler," he said, staring out the window again, "I am almost enjoying this little game with Mr. Kaiba."

Butler shook his head. He did not look forward to the day when Artemis got smacked in the face with the realization of his own mortality. It would be a heavy blow.

All Butler had to do now was make sure Artemis survived long enough to see it happen.

* * *

Yugi Mutou sighed and slumped down a little farther in his chair. He glanced up hopefully at the clock, in case it had miraculously jumped forward in the last thirty seconds. It hadn't. In front of him, the teacher droned on and on, his voice fading into a kind of permanent buzzing that tickled Yugi's ears.

_**Why so restless, aibou? **_the Pharaoh's voice rumbled in his head.

Yugi, gazing at his yami across the hall separating their soul rooms, snorted. _**Are you listening to the same lecture as I am, Pharaoh?**_

The spirit's lips twitched in a slight smile. He rarely laughed. _**I confess, Yugi, I have not been listening at all. I trust **_you_**to do that.**_

Yugi glanced at the clock again, hoping that he did not_ look_ like he was carrying on a conversation with a person inside his head to his classmates. Sometimes he would forget to speak through his mind and would burst out with some random phrase or gesture. This, needless to say, was disconcerting to people who were not in the know, and hilarious to those who were.

_**Where is Kaiba? **_Yugi wondered after a moment of mental silence. _**He's been gone for over a week. **_

_**Presumably he's on a business trip, **_Yami said.

Yugi flushed. _**I should have thought of that.**_

_**You're just so occupied with the lecture that you can't concentrate on anything else.**_

Yugi laughed and looked at the clock again. Two minutes had passed. He sighed.

_**Pharaoh, do you know any good knock-knock jokes?**_ A true act of desperation.

Yami was just about to ask what exactly a "knock-knock joke" was when the door of the classroom opened. Seto Kaiba strode in, tossed a short apology at the teacher like a rich man tossing quarters to a beggar, and swept regally to his seat, managing to draw the eyes of every single student in the room. Seto Kaiba was hard to miss.

Yugi studied the taller teenager over his shoulder. Kaiba laid his silver briefcase on the desk, then leaned back in his chair and fixed the teacher with his patented "Get on with it" stare.

The lecture resumed.

Yugi was just about to face forward and drift off into a stupor again when he caught Kaiba staring at him intently. Yugi shifted uncomfortably; the clear blue eyes were unnerving. He finally offered a small shrug, as if to ask, _'What?' _As though embarrassed to be caught staring, Kaiba looked away. Yugi was amused to note that he also glanced at the clock.

The bell finally rang fifteen excruciating minutes later. Yugi stood up, ran a few mental laps in the narrow hallway outside his soul room to clear his mind, and started to collect his belongings.

He heard footsteps approach his desk and stop. Yugi looked up, to be met once again by Kaiba's piercing gaze.

"Yugi, I need to talk with you," the other boy said.

"What is it, Kaiba?" Yugi asked with some concern. Kaiba looked a little less impeccable than normal, and his jaw was tight with tension.

"Not here," Kaiba said. "Can you meet me at the southeast corner after school?"

"Sure," Yugi said. "I usually walk home anyway."

"Today I'll give you a ride."

Yugi could only gape at him. _**Whatever he wants to say must be important, **_he remarked to the Pharaoh. Yami only nodded. Before Yugi could ask any questions, Kaiba was already disappearing out the door and merging into the crowd.

* * *

Three hours later, Artemis and Butler sat in a rented car outside Domino High School, watching as the students poured out of the building. Artemis grimaced. The clothing and hairstyles in this place were simply appalling. He even noticed a boy who looked short enough to be in middle school and sported a gigantic head of hair that reminded Artemis vaguely of a multicolored starfish. To top it off, the boy wore an enormous, tacky gold pendant around his neck. It was in the shape of an upside-down pyramid, and its size alone made it unwieldy. Artemis sneered at how stupid the entire ensemble looked. The boy glanced both ways, then headed around the corner of the school, towards the back of the campus.

It was an unusually warm day, and Artemis opened his window in an attempt to channel some cooler air into the car. There was no sign of Kaiba, and Artemis wondered if there was another entrance to the school that the CEO was in the habit of using. But no, there he was. Kaiba stepped out of the school's double doors, as proud and regal as always, and looked both ways, evidently looking for someone. Artemis shrank down slightly in his seat. Kaiba hesitated again for the briefest moment, holding his silver briefcase in one hand, and then followed the path the boy with the starfish hair had taken around the building and out of sight.

Artemis frowned, and was just about to tell Butler to circle around in an attempt to locate Kaiba when a boy just about Artemis' age stopped beside the car, blocking his view. He had unruly black hair and an unnaturally steely gaze for one so young. Artemis felt immediately wary.

"You must be Artemis Fowl," the boy said almost conversationally. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Artemis was just about to reply when the boy continued, still in a pleasant tone. "I'm Mokuba Kaiba. I understand you've had some run-ins with my brother."

Beside Artemis, Butler tensed. Despite his surprise, Artemis was not worried. Mokuba was small and slender. He wasn't physically a threat. Though the fact that they had been recognized by Seto Kaiba's younger brother _did _complicate things. He waited in silence. Sometimes, the best way to get an opponent to talk and lose the advantage was to simply say nothing at all.

It worked. "I want those files."

Now Artemis arched an eyebrow. "What files?" he asked innocently.

"Cut the crap, Fowl," Mokuba said coldly. "You know what I'm talking about."

Artemis smirked and leaned back in his seat, folding his hands. At the same time, he observed Mokuba closely. "I'm afraid my manor burned down in a fire just a few hours ago," he said. "My computer and my files were destroyed."

"I'm sorry," the boy said with surprising sincerity. "I know what it's like to lose a home." Then, he leaned forward slightly, and his gray eyes narrowed again. "But you'd be a complete idiot not to back up your files somewhere else."

Though his insides were churning with anger, Artemis simply smiled. "I have nothing of yours," he told the younger Kaiba.

Mokuba straightened up with a snort of bitter disgust. "Of course not."

The smile changed to a smirk. "The facts remain," Artemis said coolly. Without his eyes leaving Mokuba's, he signaled Butler to drive on. As the car pulled smoothly away from the curb, Artemis glanced in the side view mirrors to watch Mokuba Kaiba, who still stood on the curb, looking angry.

"Kaiba overplayed his hand," Butler remarked as they turned the corner.

Artemis snorted. "Kaiba is the kind of man to confront his rivals on his own. He doesn't need to send a messenger. I think little Mokuba was acting on his own. He lacks his brother's coolness and self-control." The anger that the bodyguard had witnessed at the ruins of the Fowl Manor was gone, to be replaced by Artemis' usual calculating manner.

"Besides," Artemis continued. "Mokuba has given me an idea."

* * *

Holly Short checked to make sure her shield was still firmly in place before stepping from the shadow of the building towards Kaiba and the other boy. Who, by the way, had the most ridiculous hairstyle Holly had ever seen. It reminded her vividly of a multicolored starfish. He had an unbelievable innocent-looking face, dominated by a pair of wide violet eyes. Hardly the kind of boy prone to fits of world domination.

But in her visor, which was displaying a muted signal from the magical readings, both boys were glowing like stars. And the enormous, tacky golden pendant was shining the most brightly of all. Holly carefully manipulated her helmet so that sensors attached to it would pick up every detail of the boys' conversation and relate it back to her. She was stationed farther away this time, to ensure that the Mud Boys' magic did not reveal her.

The boy with the starfish hair – Yugi Mutou, presumably, unless Domino City had sprouted another magic Mud Man – spoke first. "What's this about, Kaiba?"

Kaiba paced restlessly up and down for a moment or two before answering. "Yugi, when you assembled the Millennium Puzzle, what…what did you feel?"

Yugi looked puzzled. "I felt excited of course," he said, fingering the golden pendant idly. "I worked on it for almost eight years. But nervous too, because I didn't know what was going to happen. The legends Grandpa told me were kind of confusing."

"No," Kaiba said impatiently. "I mean, when you…when you…activated it. What did it feel like?"

Yugi stared at him with an expression that Holly recognized as one of bewilderment. "You don't believe in magic, Kaiba. Why are you suddenly interested in my Puzzle?"

Holly's jaw nearly dropped off in shock. One of the most powerful sources of magic she had ever seen, and Kaiba did not even believe in it? She felt a wave of relief. If Kaiba would dismiss his acquired fairy knowledge out of hand, maybe he would not pose any sort of threat to the People.

Kaiba looked away. "Maybe there is something to all that magic crap after all," he said softly.

Yugi stared at him. "Kaiba…" he whispered in an almost awed tone.

Kaiba ignored his companion's astonishment. "I think…" He hesitated; Holly sensed that the boy rarely allowed himself to appear so vulnerable. "I felt something while I was in Ireland. I think…I think it might be magic."

Yugi's youthful face turned suddenly solemn. "Tell me," he said.

Reluctantly, Kaiba told the story of his meeting with Artemis Fowl and the strange sensation he had in the office afterwards. "It felt as though someone, or _something_ were in the room with me," Kaiba said. "And my throat tightened and my stomach churned, like there was something inside of _me._"

Holly realized he was describing his reaction to herpresence. _Can it be, _she thought incredulously, _that Kaiba doesn't even realize he has magic? _The thought had never occurred to her. She wasn't sure if that made him more or less dangerous.

"Now don't bite my head off for saying this," Yugi said hesitantly, "But it sounds like you have your own magic."

Kaiba stood stock still for a moment, nostrils flaring and his eyes closed. Holly noticed that the Mud Boy's hands were clenched into fists at his sides. After a moment though, Kaiba took a deep breath and forced them open.

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "How do I get rid of it?"

Yugi frowned. "I don't think you can, Kaiba. The magic is a part of you. Now that it's stirring, it might kill you to try and take it away."

Kaiba's face was very pale, and his jaw was clenching so hard that Holly half expected his teeth to shatter.

"This is ridiculous," he mumbled finally.

Yugi smiled a little. "Well, the good news is that you'll be able to defend yourself magically from now on. That's got to count for something." The smile became a tiny bit more genuine. "Next time a crazy megalomaniac tries to take over the world, I won't have to stand alone."

Holly raised an eyebrow. **Next**_ time a crazy megalomaniac tries to take over the world? _Now _that _was a story that would be worth hearing.

Kaiba still said nothing, so Yugi pressed on. "Think of the implications to KaibaCorp. Magical toys, magical security systems…Who knows, you might even be able to summon a _real _Blue Eyes."

Holly thought she saw Kaiba's eyes light up slightly at that, but she didn't understand the reference. The taller boy relaxed a little.

"Thank you, Yugi," he said, still somewhat stiffly.

"No problem," Yugi said cheerfully, tilting his head back to look his friend in the face. "Glad I could help."

"Come, I'll drive you home," Kaiba said, turning away and striding off in the direction of the distant parking lot. Yugi had to jog to keep up. After only a few paces though, the smaller boy stopped.

"Kaiba," he called. Kaiba glanced over his shoulder, and seeing that Yugi was no longer walking, stopped and turned.

"You wanted to know what it felt like," Yugi said slowly, his hand drifting to the golden pendant. "When I assembled the Millennium Puzzle."

Kaiba's only reply was a single nod. Yugi continued. "It felt…wonderful. The Puzzle made all my dreams come true."

Kaiba stood frozen for a moment, head bowed. Yugi waited patiently, this time in silence. When they finally resumed walking toward the car, Holly sent the feed by a secure line to Haven and took to the air with a slight _buzz._ One hundred feet up, she paused to consider the implications of what she had just heard.

She no longer believed that these…_children_ would pose a threat to the People. They were scared and confused, and out of their depth. Holly felt a pang of regret. Their magic would bring pain, and make them targets for others to exploit or destroy. They might never be able to stop running.

_The problem with dreams, Yugi, _Holly thought, _is that you get the nightmares too._


	9. Chapter 9

With an ominous grinding noise, the plane touched down at the Domino Airport. The motion threw the lanky teenager against the back of the seat in front of him. He let out a surprised cry of pain and sat back, rubbing his forehead.

"I hate flying," he grumbled, clutching the armrests as the plane slowly began to lose speed, its brakes squealing. Outside the windows, Domino City was awash in sunshine. The boy pressed his face against the window, drinking it in. For the first time in days, he started to feel properly warm.

The intercom came on, warning all the passengers to "remain in their seats with their seatbelts fastened until the aircraft has come to a complete stop at the gate."

_Not a problem there, _the teen thought, eying the two men next to him. Both were huge and bulky, and trying to stand up to squeeze past them, slender as he was, would have been a miraculous feat. One of the men, the one directly beside him, had fallen asleep. His mouth was open and drool was falling from his mouth with every one of his resounding snores. Even when the plane had stopped moving and the passengers started shoving toward the door, the man slept on, oblivious.

The boy pushed tentatively at the sleeping man's shoulder. "Excuse me, sir. Sir?" The man grumbled and opened one eye.

"What?" he growled, clearly still half-asleep.

The boy shrank back. "Um, we just landed. The plane has stopped."

The man sat up and looked around. The boy was right. "Thank you," he said gruffly, unbuckling his seat belt and standing up, only to smack his head resoundingly on the bulkhead above him.

"Are you alright, sir?" the boy asked, sounding concerned.

The man didn't even answer, only collected his bag and pushed out into the aisle, rubbing his forehead with his free hand and muttering curses under his breath. The teenager winced as he heard a particularly foul one that had something to do with the…excretory functions of a camel. _Oh my._

It took him a long time to get into the aisle. He was too polite to just shove his way past the other people streaming by, and so had to wait until a kind old lady stopped and let him step out of his row.

"Thank you," he said gratefully and reached up to grab his bag. He almost knocked himself in the head with it as he tugged it free, but managed to avoid braining himself or anyone else. With the short, shuffling steps of someone carrying a heavy load, he grasped the suitcase's handle with both hands and made his way slowly down the aisle and onto the boarding ramp. He ended up stuck walking behind a love struck pair of newlyweds, who walked slowly, hand in hand, stopping often to kiss as though they were idling along the Promenade.

Unseen by anyone, the boy's sweet, open face hardened. His brown eyes narrowed, his cheekbones sharpened and his white hair stood on end as magic coursed through his slender host. He shoved past the couple, ignoring the woman's protests. At the top of the ramp, he stopped and took a deep breath of air, gleefully aware of the passengers trapped behind him.

Bakura was back in town.

* * *

Trouble Kelp was gone, dispatched to Egypt to keep an eye on the remaining magic users, a brother and sister team of archaeologists who were on a dig in the Valley of the Kings. Root had considered sending Corporal Grub instead; from all accounts, it seemed like the job wouldn't require much in the way of power _or_ intuition, but at the last moment had changed his mind. Foaly had unearthed some disturbing rumors (none of which could be entirely disproved) about the boy in particular, and Root wanted someone intelligent in place in case Marik Ishtar ending up being a threat to the People.

Probably the most interesting, and slightly unnerving fact was that Marik and his sister Ishizu had participated in one of Kaiba's card game tournaments: Battle City. Apparently, Ishizu had lost in a match against Kaiba himself in the quarter-finals, while Marik had gone on to duel against Yugi Mutou for the championship.

All of the "Magic Mud Men" as Foaly had taken to calling them, were interested in _Duel Monsters_, Root realized. More specifically, all of them had been in the Battle City finals. Even Ryou Bakura, whose signal had registered in England, had been in Domino City at the time of the tournament. He had made it to the quarter-finals. And the name of the other quarter-finalist: Odion _Ishtar_.

The significance of this last name was not lost on Commander Julius Root. But despite his name, Odion wasn't showing up on Foaly's magic scanners. Root had also asked (read "ordered") Foaly to check out the other semi-finalist, a boy named Joey Wheeler, but he wasn't showing up either. Still, it couldn't be a coincidence that _every single_ "Magic Mud Man" had competed in the Battle City Tournament.

Was it possible there was something to this card game after all? Or was it just that it was so geeky that it attracted all the freaks of nature?

Root sighed and rubbed his temples. He gazed at the images Foaly had found for him, taken from a poster of Battle City. Ishizu Ishtar was a slender young woman with long brown hair, held in place by a golden circlet. She was dressed in white flowing robes that seemed vaguely Egyptian, and a golden necklace lay upon her neck. As she was the head of an archaeological expedition in Egypt, Root supposed her style made sense. Ishizu's face, tanned by the Egyptian sun, gave the appearance of wisdom; the smile she gave for the camera had a hint of mystery to it. Beautiful by human standards, he supposed.

Marik Ishtar looked nothing like his sister. He was also slender, and his skin was tanned, but that was where the similarities ended. He had messy light blond hair, nearly white. His eyes were violet, narrowed slightly for the camera. But the smile he gave appeared genuine, if a trifle reserved. He wore tight black pants and a loose, partially open lavender shirt.

Root passed over the pictures of Joey Wheeler and Odion Ishtar to closely examine the next in line: Ryou Bakura. He was a shy, gentle looking creature with a mane of shocking white hair. His eyes were a soft, doe-like brown. His smile was almost non-existent; he looked slightly anxious. He was wearing a blue and white striped shirt and jeans. Though on first glance, he seemed the most harmless of the lot, Root got the strange impression that it was all an act, like Bakura had depths that even his competitors, smiling beside him, could not see.

Seto Kaiba stood next to Bakura, his arms folded. He was not smiling; instead, he was wearing an arrogant half-smirk, and his blue eyes were dark with superiority and a hint of sullen anger. Despite his apparent ill temper, he cut an imposing figure. His ridiculous white trench-coat flowed out behind him, setting off his black shirt and pants. Belts with silver buckles were strapped around his arms and over his knee-high black boots. Even if he hadn't been a possible threat to the People, Root wouldn't have liked him. Still, he hesitated over this picture. Dislike wasn't an excuse for justifying an execution.

And then there was Yugi Mutou. As befit the champion, he stood in the forefront of the poster, arms folded across his chest. The first thing that Root noticed was that he was _short._ Judging by the height of the people around him, he would only be about two feet taller than Root, which was not much when it came to Mud Men. But Yugi Mutou was one of those people to whom height is simply unnecessary. His entire bearing exuded confidence. Just by looking at him, Root could almost see the power radiating from the boy.

He was certainly strange looking. Yugi had tri-colored hair that reminded Root forcibly of a multicolored starfish. It should have looked ridiculous. It didn't. Blond, lightning-shaped bangs hung in his face, managing somehow to highlight his royal purple eyes. He was smirking at the camera, regally acknowledging his victory. But Root could also see a twinkle of good humor in Yugi's eyes, as though a truly noble character lurked under the picture of a conceited card-playing teenager.

Root narrowed his eyes. There was something…different between the Yugi on this poster and one that Holly had sent him images of. Quickly, he called up the clip of Kaiba's conversation with Yugi outside Domino High School and looked at it closely. The Yugi on the screen was outwardly the same, but he was lacking something…the arrogance…the confidence.

Root played the audio.

"_Now don't bite my head off for saying this," Yugi said, "But it sounds like you have your own magic."_

Root frowned. Here, Yugi's voice was small and hesitant, as though he was afraid of Kaiba's reaction. But the Yugi on the poster…Root had a hard time believing that that Yugi would be afraid of anyone. In the video clip of the tiny King of Games – Root snorted; that name was just ridiculous – his violet eyes were wide and innocent. Again, the confidence, the…regalness of the Battle City Yugi was gone.

"Isn't he a little young for you, Commander?"

Root whirled around to see Foaly standing behind him, his face dominated by a wide smirk. The centaur was holding a cup of coffee, marked with the distinctive Starbucks symbol. Root shook his head. A Starbucks underground. The Mud Men didn't even need to invade.

"Actually Foaly, since _you're _the one who's currently in the market, maybe you should take a look," he said.

The grin disappeared. The centaur actually looked affronted. He was just about to stomp off back to his chair when Root called him back.

"Snap out of your pony pout and come take a look at this."

Foaly stomped back to Root's side and looked at the Battle City poster. "Haven, they all look completely ridiculous."

Root had to concede the point. "Yes, but look at him." He jabbed a finger at Yugi.

Foaly cocked his head. "What about him, Commander? A little short for a Mud Man, but he's got the inherent arrogance down pat. And…what's with that hair? It looks like a starfish."

Root's beet-red face got even redder. "Quit your snipping and compare this poster with _this._" He restarted the video clip. He froze the image on an unobstructed shot of Yugi looking at the camera, his eyes wide and bewildered. The audio continued to play.

"_Now don't bite my head off for saying this," Yugi said hesitantly, "But it sounds like you have your own magic."_

Foaly looked from the poster to the video and back again. "You're right, Julius. Something's different. _This_ Yugi," he pointed at the computer screen, "doesn't have the same "I'm king of the universe" vibe going."

Root stared at the poster Yugi again. It was then that he noticed that the Mud Boy was wearing the same giant, tacky gold pyramid that was in Holly's video. It was hung by a heavy chain, and was the only vibrant color that the Mud Boy wore. Everything else, from his uniform jacket to his shirt to his school pants, was dark blue or black.

The Fairy Commander bent in closer. There was an engraving on the pendant's face. But he couldn't quite make it out…

"Save your eyesight, Commander," Foaly said, tapping a few keys. The Yugi on the computer screen was magnified by a factor of ten. Foaly zoomed in on the pendant.

It was the eye of Horus. Root was struck by a strange realization. He picked up the poster. Around Ishizu Ishtar's neck, the golden necklace glittered. On it was the eye of Horus. There was a glimmer of gold at Marik Ishtar's waistband. Barely visible, because whatever it was tucked into the back of Marik's pants, but Root could make out what _could _be the same engraving. He didn't see the symbol on Kaiba or Bakura, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. That voluminous coat could hide anything.

The eye of Horus. The symbol of ancient Egypt.

"Foaly," he said, jabbing his finger at the screen, ignoring Foaly's yelp at the threat to his precious computer. "Find out everything you can about ancient Egyptian magic. I want to know why three of your "Magic Mud Men" are sporting the eye of Horus on their accessories."

"Right away Julius."

Root leaned over and grabbed the collar of the Foaly's shirt. He hauled the centaur's face up close to his, completely ignoring his prisoner's indignant squawking.

"I'm going to make this really clear to you right now, Foaly," he said in a deadly calm voice. Foaly gulped. "Don't. Call. Me. Julius."

"Yes, Commander," Foaly stammered.

Root released him. "Okay then. Get to work."

* * *

Butler held up a sheaf of papers. "I found the information you wanted, Artemis."

Artemis barely glanced up. "Thank you. Lay it on the desk."

The hotel room where they were staying was modernly furnished. Domino was undergoing an architectural "revolution," which emphasized almost Spartan decorations. Everything was hard edges and white lines. The place had a metallic, sterile look. Artemis hated it, and wished fervently that he could be back in Ireland in his manor, curled up in his favorite chair in his father's study.

But the manor had burned to the ground. It would take time to rebuild, and some of the furnishings could never be replaced.

At least the room had a desk. If you could call it a desk. To Artemis, it resembled nothing more than an interrogation table. Now all he needed was a bare bulb hanging overhead for the final touch.

Butler laid the papers on the desk by Artemis' hand without a word and then walked across the room to a stiff armchair. He sat down uncomfortably and opened up a magazine. Artemis glanced up and smiled. _Guns and Ammo. _How very Butler-esque.

He worked for a few minutes more before he looked up again. "I know you want to ask me something, Butler."

The bodyguard shifted, but it could just have been that he was trying to rearrange his huge bulk in the cramped chair. He turned a page without looking up. "You'll tell me what you think is important when you're ready."

"Yes, but you still want to ask me something."

Butler laid his magazine aside. "I just wanted to know what you intend to do about Mokuba Kaiba. If we're going to executing a…operation, I would like to know ahead of time. But," he added, "You'll tell me when you're ready."

"You mean a kidnapping," Artemis said matter-of-factly. Butler looked slightly uncomfortable, but he nodded.

"Don't worry, Butler. I'm not going to lay a finger on young Mr. Kaiba. This won't be like our first encounter with the People."

Though he tried to hide it, Butler was slightly relieved. Their first encounter with the People had involved the kidnapping of a fairy police officer, a siege, an angry troll, a couple of timely healings, a kleptomaniac dwarf, a time stop, lots of fairy gold, and a bio bomb. Not that there hadn't been a couple of high points – taking out the fairy Retrieval Squad had been fairly satisfying – but Butler had no desire to repeat the experience.

Artemis gestured towards his computer. "I was just examining Mr. Kaiba's guardianship of his brother. He is, after all, a minor himself, not to mention that a previous psychologist described him as "emotionally under-developed." Apparently, the brothers have made some enemies on the Board of Child Services, so Kaiba's hold on Mokuba is rather tentative at the moment." Artemis held up the papers Butler had given him. "And with this information on Necros, I think we can go a long way towards depriving Mr. Kaiba of the thing he values the most. His little brother." At Butler's look, he added, "He hides it well."

Butler knew there was no point in asking Artemis what exactly he was planning, but it seemed that Artemis was in a talkative mood.

"The conditions of Kaiba's guardianship state that if he is ever convicted of a violent crime, he immediately loses all rights to his brother. Actually, what with his relationship with the Board being what it is, it wouldn't even take a conviction. Even a criminal investigation would be enough to tip the scales."

Butler understood. "You want to try to connect him to Necros."

"Not _try_, Butler," Artemis said. "But Necros is just one avenue I could pursue. I've done some research, and I believe I could find evidence to link Kaiba to several instances of theft, extortion, and bribery. Maybe even murder. It seems that the Kaibas' adopted father, Gozaboro Kaiba, committed suicide a few years ago by jumping out his office window. His death left the entire KaibaCorp empire to the current Mr. Kaiba."

"Convenient."

"I've gotten hold of a complete psychiatric evaluation for Gozaboro Kaiba held only a few weeks before his death. Part of his business contract. There were no manifestations of suicidal tendencies at that time."

"You don't think he killed himself."

Artemis shrugged. "Consider it an avenue of exploration."

"He knows you're here now, Artemis," Butler said. "There's a chance that he might try something."

Artemis smirked. "If he does, then you will be here to foil it, and I have _this,_" he held up the slightly battered fairy camera, "to collect the evidence. If he moves against me, then I have him. A violent crime investigation would lose him Mokuba and hurt his company, and a _conviction _would lose him everything." He laughed. "No, Kaiba would be a fool to take any action against me." He leaned his elbows momentarily against the desk.

"Though I do expect that our next encounter will be…interesting."

Butler shuddered and picked up his magazine again. _Interesting. _He was really starting to hate that word.


	10. Chapter 10

Foaly whistled. "Commander, look at this."

Root paused to feel the brief surge of satisfaction that there was no familiarity in the centaur's tone. It sounded brisk and professional. Then he had to stop to force down the feelings of nostalgia. He did _not _miss the centaur's joking around!

"Commander?"

Root snapped back into the real world. "What is it?" he asked, lighting a cigar and taking a deep breath. Foaly shot him a baleful look, but remembering the commander's temper, decided not to comment. Root took another drag, slightly disappointed.

"Ancient Egyptian magic, á la nasty," the centaur said, pointing at the screen. "That was a pretty brutal time in fairy history, you know. Looks like the humans followed suit." He scrolled down a little and pointed at an image on the screen. It was the golden pendant that Yugi Mutou wore around his neck. "This is the thing in the poster."

Root nodded, though it hadn't really been a question.

Foaly continued. "It's called the Millennium Puzzle, and it's one of seven magical artifacts. The Millennium Puzzle, Eye, Key, Scales, Necklace, Rod, and Ring. Created using the blood and souls of an entire village."

Root winced. Sometimes, the brutality of the Mud Men was absolutely appalling. "So how did a teenager in the twenty-first century get hold of an ancient Egyptian magical artifact?" He remembered the golden necklace around Ishizu Ishtar's neck and the glint of gold at the waistband of Marik's pants. "How did any of them get hold of this stuff?"

"I'm getting to that." Foaly's hairy fingers flew over the keys. "About five thousand years ago, there was a series of incredibly powerful Pharaohs. They were sorcerers, Shadowmancers." Here Root winced again. Shadowmancy was an incredibly violent, destructive brand of magic. But what Foaly was saying sounded familiar.

"Aknankamon and Seth, right?" he asked.

"Wrong." Foaly sounded smug. "There was a third king right between the two. The history books just don't generally mention it because he didn't have a grand pyramid or conquer territory or anything. And he didn't reign for long: only a few years."

"So why is this Pharaoh so important?" Root demanded impatiently.

Foaly held up his hands in a "calm down" gesture. "I'm getting there." He took a deep breath. "He's important because he was infinitely more powerful than the other two. He was only fifteen when he died. And because he didn't have a name."

Root drew in a startled breath. "No name?" To the Egyptians, your name was tantamount to existence. Without one, you could not be judged by Osiris and sent to the peace of the afterlife.

Foaly shook his head. "Nope. There's a legend that says he sacrificed it, along with his life, to protect Egypt from some great evil." He frowned at the screen. "Though exactly what that evil was is kind of vague."

"So what does this have to do with Yugi and the other "Magic Mud Men?'" Root grimaced; the name sounded incredibly stupid when said out loud.

Foaly grinned in triumph. "_Here_ is a stone tablet that was found recently in the Valley of the Kings. According to the inscription…" he said, leaning in close, "…it's a depiction of a battle between the Nameless Pharaoh and his High Priest. That's the Pharaoh on the right."

Root stared at the picture, which Foaly seemed determined to keep as small as possible. A glare had the centaur hurriedly expanding the image to fill the entire screen. Root's jaw dropped open, and the cigar dropped from his lips. He was staring at the Egyptian king.

The man stood in a suitably dramatic pose, dressed in the rich clothes of a Pharaoh. His hand was outstretched, clearly in the middle of casting a spell. Another man in armor and carrying a staff floated above him; a wizard or a warlock of some kind. But it was not the Pharaoh's dress, or his summoned minion, that caught Root's attention.

It was his hair.

Yugi's hair. It stood up in stiff spikes, the lightning bangs hanging casually in his face. The proud, angular face was the same, as well as the small regal smirk that graced his features. Confidence, pure and undiluted, shone from even the simple stone carving. Though the tablet had no color, Root could almost see the strange violet eyes.

"Are you telling me," he hissed at Foaly, "that Yugi Mutou is actually the reincarnation of a long-dead Egyptian Pharaoh?"

"I don't think that Yugi is a just a reincarnation." Foaly said. "I think he's the actual _Pharaoh_."

All Root could think about was, _Well,_ _that would explain the whole "I'm king of the universe" attitude. _

"The Nameless Pharaoh supposedly sealed his soul away in the Millennium Puzzle as part of his sacrifice," Foaly continued. "The Puzzle broke. I think Yugi found it and reassembled it."

The implications of that were simply staggering. Not only did the People have to contend with Mud Men with magic, they had to deal with a Shadowmancer, and a Pharaoh to boot…

"By the way," Root said, trying and failing to sound casual, "When you say this Nameless Pharaoh was 'infinitely' more powerful than the other two Pharaohs, how much is 'infinitely'?"

"Let's just say that we don't want this guy getting angry," Foaly said. "Most of the power that's ascribed to Seth actually belonged to his predecessor."

Root's heart sank into his boots. Seth was considered by many to have been the last human king with magic, and legends of his powers and exploits were…intimidating.

"D'Arvit."

"It gets better," Foaly said. "Take a look at the High Priest."

Root leaned in. He hadn't paid much attention to the other man; he had been sidetracked by the image of the Nameless Pharaoh. For a moment he froze, unable to say anything at all. After thirty seconds of dead silence, during which Foaly was tempted to call the paramedics to make sure the commander hadn't _died_, Root reverted to form.

"Alright," he growled, after ten minutes of unprintable profanity had passed and his face had returned to a slightly more healthy shade of red, "So we have the Nameless Pharaoh and his High Priest running around…"

"Seth," Foaly injected helpfully.

"I don't give a damn what his name is. At least you said he didn't have that much magic…" He trailed off, sounding unconvinced.

"Oh, he didn't after he became Pharaoh," the centaur said almost cheerfully. "But as a priest, he was obscenely powerful. There's a time recorded here…"

"Foaly?" Root said with forced calm. "Shut up."

The centaur gulped and nodded.

"Find out what you can about the Millennium Items," Root continued briskly. "And for Haven's sake, find out everything there is to know about the other "Magic Mud Men." He frowned. "And while you're at it, make up a new name for them. I feel stupid saying it." He gritted his teeth and cracked his knuckles. "If any of the rest of them are ancient Egyptian Shadowmancers, heads are going to roll."

For once, Foaly bit his tongue. He could always tell Root about the Tomb Robber at a…um…later date.

* * *

"Bakura!" Yugi called cheerfully as his friend walked into the classroom. The white-haired boy winced slightly as a large group of rowdy football players shoved past him. He winced again as the place where the Millennium Ring hung bubbled slightly. But with Yugi looking, the Thief King could not punish the teenagers as he clearly desired. Ryou forced the feeling down, feeling sick.

Yugi's smile faded. "Are you okay?"

Ryou forced a smile. "I'm fine, Yugi. I'm just not looking forward to starting classes again."

"I know what you mean," Yugi said, relieved, though Bakura could sense that the spirit of the Pharaoh was still observing him closely. "It's hard coming back from a vacation." He laughed. "At least we never do anything in this class."

'This class' was history, and Yugi was right. Nothing ever happened, except the occasional student who pretended to faint from boredom. Or actually fainted, as the case may be. Even Kaiba, who aced every exam, sat in his chair with his eyes hooded and arms crossed.

As Bakura sat down, however, Kaiba's eyes opened and he sat up a little in his chair. There was a faint tingling sensation at the base of his spine as he looked at the white-haired boy, like someone was running their fingers over his skin. It was so similar to the feeling he had had in his office in Ireland that he fidgeted slightly, trying to get rid of it, but it was no use. Kaiba felt his throat tighten as though something was trying to force its way out.

He eyed the other boy closely from behind. There was nothing in Bakura's appearance or manner that suggested magic. In all honesty, Kaiba had never paid much attention to him before. Sure, Bakura had participated in the Battle City tournament, but he had been eliminated in the first round, along with Ishizu, so Kaiba had summarily dismissed him as insignificant. Now he wasn't so sure. Bakura seemed quiet, anxious, and stereotypically British, the sort of person who would wear tweed in later years and frequently say "Oh my" over cups of tea.

At that very moment, however, Bakura swiveled around in his seat. He caught Kaiba's gaze and smiled. In that moment, he seemed to change. His wide brown eyes narrowed and became guarded and cold. His lips curled in a smirk, and he stared at Kaiba with utter disdain. The tingling at the base of Kaiba's spine became a fully-fledged stinging. Then the expression was gone. Bakura turned around to face front as though nothing had happened. The entire thing occurred so suddenly that for a moment, Kaiba thought he had imagined it.

But he knew he hadn't.

Unnerved, and unwilling to admit it, he stared at the back of Bakura's head. With his belief in magic came a whole train of unpleasant thoughts. For example, what the hell was sharing a body with Bakura?

* * *

The LEP officer sighed. "Do I need to read you your rights, Diggums, or would you like to just recite them yourself?"

Mulch rolled his eyes. It was bad enough that he had collided with a shielded LEP officer when his arms were full of…um…_liberated_ merchandise, but now he was stuck with one who wanted to be clever_._ What had he ever done to deserve this? He hadn't even stolen anything interesting, just a few golden statues and a diamond necklace. Hardly worth raising such a fuss over.

He scratched his bum flap with his handcuffed hands and pretended to think about it. "Don't worry, I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself. I know the drill." Instantly, he wished he had kept his big mouth shut.

The officer's eyes narrowed dangerously. As he shoved Mulch towards his waiting vehicle, his buzz baton swung free and "accidentally" stung the seat of Mulch's pants.

"Ouch!" the dwarf yelped, jumping nearly a foot into the air. "Hey, that's assault!"

"Oops," the LEP officer said, straight-faced. "Accident."

Mulch just rubbed his bum flap gingerly and gave the elf a foul look. Not that he was in a position to make good on a threat right now. He waddled towards the rear of the shuttle and nearly fell as the officer "helped" him onto the hard narrow seat.

_Why did I open my mouth?_ he thought.

The elf swung into his (padded) seat and opened the throttle. He hummed cheerily as he directed the shuttle into the tunnel leading down towards Haven, and Mulch leaned against the back of his seat in a huff. He had just resigned himself to another substandard lawyer and probably a century or two of prison time (it was hard to claim he had been returning the items to their owners, since one of them had been pursuing him with a broomstick) when he had an idea.

"Hey you," he said to the officer. "I want to talk to Julius Root."

The officer sighed. In his opinion, he was not being paid enough for this. "Quiet, convict, or you can sleep through the rest of the trip."

"It might be worth it," Mulch couldn't help replying. "_Dances with Pixies?_ Isn't that a musical?"

The officer gripped the wheel tightly and gritted his teeth. "My daughter listens to it," he said.

Mulch gave him a knowing look, even though the officer probably couldn't see it while watching traffic. "Sure." He waited a minute or two. Then, "I want to talk to Root."

"And I want a pay-raise and a three-year sabbatical. Too bad, dwarf."

"Fine," Mulch said, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "Just don't blame me when my lawyer tears you to pieces on charges of assault, police brutality, and obstruction of justice." He threw the last one in on a lark; he wasn't quite sure what it was, but it _sounded _impressive.

The officer snorted. "What lawyer, Diggums?"

"I plan to hire Hera Winger," Mulch said, as casually as possible.

Despite himself, the officer paled. Hera Winger was a defense lawyer also known as "Harpy." She was caustic, confrontational, and worse, _effective._

"You're bluffing," he said, though his tone was not as confident as before.

_Well yes. I couldn't afford to pay Hera Winger if I sold my soul and first-born child. _You want to risk it?" He leaned forward slightly. "Just let me talk to Julius Root and I'll forget the whole "accident" ever happened."

The elf considered, and Mulch held his breath. Finally, the LEP officer leaned forward and keyed in a confirmation code on his communications array. Mulch grinned in satisfaction, but kept his mouth shut. Now if he could just figure out exactly what to say…

When the officer got off the communication with Commander Root, he briefly took his eyes off his driving to smirk unpleasantly at the dwarf in the backseat.

"Alright, Convict, you'll get five minutes with the Commander once we get to Haven. You just hope he's in a better mood by then."

Mulch snorted. He had never seen Root cheerful, and a smile was almost out of the question. What kind of mood had the officer predicted Root'd be in? Mulch settled himself against the uncomfortable back of his seat and decided to pass the rest of the journey imagining the color draining from Root's face.

* * *

"Look at this," Root drawled. "It's almost a family reunion."

Mulch shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Now he knew what the LEP officer had been referring to. The commander was almost frightening calm, and his normally beet-red face was not its usual color. But when he gripped the back of his chair, Mulch could see the tension in the elf's fingers. His knuckles were almost white.

There were only three people in the room: Root, Foaly, and Mulch himself. Root would have liked to include Holly and perhaps Captain Kelp, but they were both on missions right now. Not that he expected this to be a very important meeting.

"I have to say, Julius, I'm somewhat disappointed," Mulch told him. "I thought you'd be more curious about why I'm talking to you."

Root shrugged. "Not really, Diggums. I have more important things to do."

Mulch tried to raise a single eyebrow, the way he'd seen people do in the movies, but all he managed was a kind of abrupt levitation of the top half of his face. "I doubt it."

Root's forced calm was beginning to fray, and Mulch felt slightly relieved. "Tell me what this is about, Convict, so we can start finding you a nice comfy cell and a roommate."

Mulch cleaned imaginary dust from beneath his fingernails. His wrists were cuffed in front of him. "Mud Men have discovered magic."

To his utter surprise, Root didn't flinch. "Is that all?" the elf asked with a patronizing edge. "Old news, Mulch. It's under control."

Mulch recovered his voice. "One of them tried to kill me."

Root snorted. "I'll have to remember to send him flowers."

Foaly looked more interested. "Which one was it?" he asked.

Mulch scrunched up his forehead in a pantomime of deep thought, but everyone in the room knew it was an act. As for Mulch, he wouldn't be able to forget that particular Mud Boy for a while.

"He had white hair. Absolutely _no _fashion sense. I mean, even for a Mud Boy…"

"Eyes?" Root asked.

Mulch rolled his eyes. "Of course he had eyes."

Root heaved an exasperated sigh. "What _color_, Diggums?"

"Oh. Why didn't you say that in the beginning? I don't know. Brown maybe? I wasn't looking at his eyes."

"So you just happened to take a Mud Boy out to tea and coffee and it didn't work out between you?" Root said. "Why was he trying to kill you?"

Mulch shrugged. "My dashing good looks sometimes make people jealous. It's my curse."

Root ground his teeth together, and Mulch was satisfied to see the commander's face was slowly regaining its usual color.

"_Why?"_

Mulch shifted again. "I take the Fifth."

"Wrong constitution, Convict. Now, answer my question before I dismantle that smug smile and use it to make a domino set."

"What were you trying to steal?" Foaly asked before it could get any uglier.

"Steal? Me?" Mulch put on his most innocent face. It was about as convincing as a Rottreiler trying to pretend to be a squirrel.

Root was in no mood to put up with it. "Last chance, Diggums."

Mulch pretended to hesitate. "It was a gold ring, about this big." He held out his cuffed hands in the shape of a circle. It had little spikes on it, and the eye of Horus in the center."

Root and Foaly exchanged a significant look. Mulch spread his hands. "I expect little compensation in exchange for my help. Maybe a reduced sentence…" he trailed off hopefully.

Root seemed about to explode, but at the last minute, calmed himself down. Then a wicked grin spread over his face. Mulch felt his stomach lurch.

"Of course, Mulch," the commander purred. "You deserve a little reward." The smirk widened. "That's why you'll be coming on a little trip with me."

"Where?" Mulch asked, trying not to let his voice squeak.

"Domino City."


	11. Chapter 11

"Our friend Kaiba has not been as careful as he thought."

Butler looked up from his _Guns and Ammo _magazine. "Necros?"

Artemis pursed his lips in annoyance. "No. I can't find anything that would conclusively link him to Kaiba. At least one of them is too smart for that. But there are other things."

He lifted a sheaf of paper. "Here is a police record of an assault and robbery that occurred about four years ago. The man was badly beaten. He claimed that the only item that was stolen was a rare _Duel Monsters_ card. The Blue Eyes White Dragon."

"Isn't that Kaiba's trademark?" Butler asked. He had done some research on the man when Artemis had set out on this fool's errand, and references to the Blue Eyes White Dragon had appeared numerous times.

Artemis smirked in smug satisfaction. "Yes. The card is extremely rare. Counting the card that was stolen…" he waved the police report, "There are only three in the world." His smirk widened. "All of which appear in Seto Kaiba's deck."

"Why didn't the police investigate this?" Butler asked, eyes narrowed.

Artemis shrugged. "They did. They linked the crime to a couple of petty thugs, but they claimed they were working alone. Refused to say anything else. When questioned, Mr. Kaiba said that he had located the card on an exclusive dueler's website. It is theoretically possible that the thieves sold the card to the site. The company has a reputation for paying a great deal of money for rare cards, and the Blue Eyes would certainly qualify."

He clicked a few keys. "I took the liberty of tracking down the other two previous owners of the Blue Eyes White Dragon cards. One died in a fire that burned down his home, and the other one was sent to an insane asylum a few months later. Babbling about "the curse of the Blue Eyes." Mr. Kaiba bought the card for a very low price at a silent auction."

"The one that died in the fire…" Butler trailed off.

Artemis grimaced. "Yes, I believe that this is another example of Necros' work. But I can't prove it. Yet." He tapped his chin with his fingers. "Butler, I want you to track down the man listed in this record." He lifted the police record. Butler wondered briefly how he'd gotten it. This was not a _public_ record. "I want to talk with him about the events leading up to his assault and robbery."

"I'm sure that the police have already questioned him," Butler said. He was not really protesting; he trusted that Artemis knew what he doing. Merely covering all the angles.

Artemis pursed his lips. "But _I _have not questioned him, Butler. See to it."

"Yes, Artemis." Butler sat down at the computer as Artemis vacated the chair.

"Do not disturb me for the next three hours," Artemis said as he stretched. "I need to rest and plan."

"Of course."

Artemis entered his bedroom and gazed distastefully at the supposedly "modern" furnishings. He was tired, and the bed at least looked fairly comfortable. But he did not lie down. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed and steepled his fingers together under his chin. A triumphant smirk spread across his face.

"Oh Kaiba," he whispered. "You made the worst underestimation of your life when you decided to play this game with me."

Unbidden, his mind conjured up an image of Seto Kaiba sitting at his desk in his Spartan office. The man was smiling and sitting in an identical posture to Artemis himself.

_I'm good at games, _the smug gaze seemed to be saying. _Try your worst, Fowl. You'll break your teeth on me._

Angrily, Artemis banished the image.

* * *

"I never knew stake-out duty could be so boring," Mulch commented, helping himself to another bottle of Irish spring water from the shuttle's cooler.

Commander Julius Root fumed. Only a few hours with the convict and he was already dreaming longingly of strangling him. Or perhaps taking a leaf from Kaiba's book and lobbing him out a high window. Either way, he was thoroughly regretting his decision to bring the dwarf along, and wondering what under the earth had possessed him to do so.

He settled for snapping, "Shut your mouth, Convict," in a very authoritative tone and adjusting the cameras with which he was currently watching Yugi Mutou's house. So far, there had been no movement, though Foaly's thermal scanners read two strong heat signatures inside. Two people. Holly was watching from the opposite side of the building. Nothing from that side either. Root was beginning to come to the conclusion that despite his connection to the magic of ancient Egypt, Yugi Mutou was a thoroughly boring person. Nine-thirty, and he already seemed to be turning in for the night.

He called up his link to Holly's helmet. "Anything?"

"Whoa, Commander, don't startle me like that! And no, nothing." Holly sounded exceedingly bored. She didn't make much of an effort to hide it.

Root heaved a sigh. "Holly, what do you think of Mutou?"

Her tone was more cautious now. "Why do you ask?"

"I just want to know what you think."

Holly hesitated. "I don't know much about him. I mean, other than the Egyptian Pharaoh thing. His background came up clean."

"Yeah," Root said, shaking his head. "This is one boring Mud Man. Well…" he stopped. "Yugi is, at any rate."

"Do we know anything else about Pharaoh?" Holly asked. "What he's like, how he might behave in certain situations?"

Root shook his head again, though Holly couldn't see it. "Nope. Nothing. It's like he's some kind of ghost."

"Um, Commander?" Holly said. "He _is _a ghost."

Root scowled. "Don't patronize me, Captain."

"Of course not, Commander," Holly said. Root could almost see her smirking. "I wouldn't dream of it."

He was glad she couldn't see him smile. "Good."

He cut the connection and, trying to ignore the gurgling and sloshing from the dwarf sitting in the back of the shuttle, resigned himself to a night of boredom.

* * *

Unbeknownst to anyone, the thermal signature that appeared in Yugi Mutou's room did not belong to Yugi Mutou. Yugi was gone, had left in fact only a few minutes before the fairy surveillance team arrived. Nor was it Grandpa; other than periodically sticking his head in to wake Yugi up on particularly difficult school mornings, the old man had no reason to be in that part of the house.

No, the thermal signature that Root and Holly were currently monitoring belonged to Bakura.

And like with all good thieves, no one had seen him arrive.

With a little luck, no one would see him leave either. He moved quietly, catlike, through Yugi's room, searching methodically, with the air of someone with plenty of experience in breaking and entering.

What Bakura was looking for was the Millennium Items. Not the Puzzle; Yugi wore that at all times, and even in sleep, his hand was tangled in the chain. (Not that Bakura had checked, of course). But he hoped to find the others: the Scales, the Key, the Necklace, and the Rod. Especially the Rod.

He had just knelt down beside Yugi's bed to check beneath it when something, an instinct perhaps, made him stop and look up. He knelt where he was, his hand gripping the bedspread, cautiously sending out his magic in all directions, searching for the source of his unease.

There. Far enough away that it was little more than a faint tingle, Bakura could feel a hint of magic. The hairs on his neck prickled; he stayed absolutely still as he gently prodded the area, trying to define the source.

Damn. Too far away.

He hesitated for a moment or two longer. But in the end, he shoved the feeling – not strong enough to be of much of a threat – to the back of his mind and bent to check under the bed. There was a duffle shoved against the far wall. The Ring began to glow, and the spikes attached to it extended towards the bag.

Bakura grinned in triumph and reached out… Footsteps. He straightened up so fast he knocked his head on the bottom of the bed. He cursed under his breath. The Thief King was upright in seconds, every nerve tensed with a mix of excitement and anger, senses straining.

He heard Yugi's grandpa humming as he waddled past the room. Bakura grimaced; the old man was as tone-deaf as he was senile.

_Bakura! _he heard his host protest softly in the back of his mind, but Bakura ignored him. The boy was weak and helpless; his wishes meant little to the thief, unless they coincided with his own.

Instead of wriggling back underneath the bed, he headed for the window. Enough that he knew where the Millennium Items were. Better that Yugi go on trusting him for a little while longer. Bakura smirked. The fool.

Something caught his eye. It was Yugi's phone, evidently left behind. A small light was blinking on the front. Curiosity overwhelmed Bakura. He picked the phone up, flicked it open, and pressed the button that accessed the messages.

_**"Yugi, this is Kaiba**_," the recording said. _**"I need to speak with you. Come to the mansion immediately." **_

Bakura glanced at his host's watch. Nine-thirty. The message had come at 9:00. From the sound of Kaiba's message, Yugi had set off for the mansion on his own. No car. Walking, Yugi would have barely reached it by now.

_Which would make it an excellent opportunity for eavesdropping, _the thief thought. _If I could find some way to get there quickly._

A grin spread across Bakura's face. He knew a way.

With a single bound, he leapt over the window ledge and dropped lightly to the ground.

* * *

"Someone has left the building," Holly reported, her voice suddenly alert and ready for action. "It's not Yugi."

"Oh, is something finally happening?" Mulch inquired oh-so-innocently, padding up to the front of the shuttle and gazing out the viewport. When he saw the Mud Boy crouched beneath the game shop's window, his heart nearly stopped working.

"That's him…" he stammered, aware he sounded like a frightened child. "That's the Mud Boy who attacked me!"

Root gave him a look midway between doubtful and disdainful. "Bakura?"

"He's not as sweet as he looks," Mulch said. He could feel his bowels twisting with dislike.

"That wouldn't be possible," Holly muttered.

At that very moment, a bright gold light blazed from the ring around the boy's neck. When it faded, a monstrosity stood in its place. The thing was huge and gaunt and hungry, with leathery wings folded tightly in place on its back. Its glowing red eyes and dripping fangs came straight out of a nightmare.

The boy, however, approached it calmly and extended his arms as though intending to embrace it. The thing gurgled with pleasure and wrapped its sinewy arms around him. Then, with a single bound, they took flight.

"Get in the air, Holly." Root barked into the comlink. "Don't lose track of him."

She didn't bother with an affirmation. He settled into the pilot's seat and began to ease the shuttle away from the ground after making sure the protective shields were still in place.

"What are you going to do?" Mulch gulped.

Root gripped the joystick grimly. "_We…we_ are going to find out exactly where he's going. And what it was that we just saw."

* * *

When the summoned monster deposited him in the shadows near the gates of Kaiba's mansion, Bakura glanced around, considering his options. For a brief moment, he considered just walking up to the guard on duty and telling him that he was expected. But he almost instantly discarded it. The guard would check the information with Kaiba, and besides, _Where's the fun in that?_

Instead, with the agility of a monkey, he began to climb the wall, eyes darting, scanning for sensors, bolstering his efforts with magic. Not much; he didn't want anyone to know he was coming. And besides, if he relied on magic, he would get rusty. That was a good way to get dead. At the top of the fence, he laughed at the spikes and slipped between them with the ease of the cats he had once revered in ancient Egypt.

Bakura was thoroughly enjoying himself.

The estate was well protected. Guards patrolled the entire premises, and Bakura was certain he heard the growling of dogs once or twice. There were sensors crisscrossing the lawn where there were no guards, and cameras in the most unexpected places. An ordinary thief would have been snared before he even touched ground. Fortunately (or unfortunately), Bakura was no ordinary thief.

He easily avoided the traps, snares, and guards and came up next to the dining room window. He could vaguely hear voices through the glass. Then, he had to duck down hurriedly, because Seto Kaiba was standing at the window. He was talking to someone Bakura could not see.

_Yugi._

This was no good. There was no point in eavesdropping if he could not hear what was being said. He could use his gift, but the thorn-in-his-side Pharaoh would sense it. At this point, there was also a chance Kaiba might.

Just as he was contemplating how he might get into the house, Kaiba abruptly left the window. With his ear pressed against the wall under the sill, Bakura heard something that sounded like, "I need a drink."

Bakura smirked. But Kaiba's drinking habits were certainly convenient. The thief could hear the sound of footsteps, and when he risked a quick peak, the dining room was empty.

He waited for three minutes. Kaiba was a clever one, and it was possible he had seen Bakura and was lying in wait. But despite Bakura's keen hearing, the room continued to seem empty. He made his decision. With cobra-quickness, he opened the window and entered the house.

With a thief's instincts, he noted the valuable items in the room, but managed to refrain from touching. Now was not the time.

He heard voices again. Now they were clear.

"Fairies." Yugi's voice sounded rueful. "Well, I guess we've faced everything else."

"Fowl's files were certainly illuminating," Kaiba said wryly.

There was a moment of silence during which Bakura strained forward to listen. _Yes, my dear Kaiba, this is certainly "illuminating."_

Then Yugi's voice: "What are you going to do?"

Kaiba sighed. "I don't know." Before tonight, Bakura would have bet his right hand and all his teeth (well, Ryou's right hand and teeth) that Kaiba would rather be disemboweled than admit such a thing to anyone.

Then Kaiba's voice got cold. "I think that I felt one of them in my office in Ireland. With my…magic. If so, they are observing me."

"Normally, I'd say you were just being paranoid," Yugi said. Bakura repressed a snort. Normally, Yugi would just smile nervously and stammer out some ingratiating nonsense. At least the Pharaoh had _balls_.

"But I think you're right," Yugi finished. "We need to find out more about this LEP, so we know what we're facing."

"We?" Kaiba's tone was inscrutable.

"We." Bakura could almost see the pharaoh taking over the body. _Ra, about time_. "Like it or not…"

"This is all destined to be," Kaiba finished with a snort. "Spare me the lecture, Yugi." There was a pause. "Pharaoh."

_First, I find out that fairies exist, then I find Kaiba believes in magic. Next thing you know, I'll be in bed with the pharaoh. _Bakura had to pause a moment to vigorously scrub that mental image out of his head. The very idea was…Bakura didn't know a sufficiently strong adjective to describe it. Ugh!

He slipped across the room and left through the window. Now that he had dragged his mind out of the gutter, he was busy thinking about all he had learned. _Illuminating indeed. _His second thought, close on the heels of the first:

_How can I turn this to my advantage?_


	12. Chapter 12

"This is getting out of hand."

"As much as I hate to agree with my 'esteemed' colleague," Councilwoman Vinyáya said, "I'm afraid Councilman Vox is right. This new development is not to my liking."

The projection of Commander Julius Root shifted a little. "Nor to mine, Councilwoman."

"These Mud Men _must _be eliminated!" Hagen burst out angrily. "The knowledge of our existence is becoming public fact!"

"We could simply wipe their memories," Root said, a bit sharply. "There's no need for extremes."

There was a moment of silence. "You forget your place, Commander," Brug said coldly. "It is up to _us_ to decide on an appropriate course of action."

Root visibly clenched his teeth. "Of course. I apologize." He did not sound sorry.

Vinyáya's face softened. "Commander, be well assured we understand the gravity of the situation. We will do the utmost in our power to save as many innocent lives as we possibly can."

"Don't make us remind you that at least three of these "Magic Mud Men" are Shadowmancers," Vox said. "Shadowmancy is an abominable brand of magic, used only for taking lives and stealing souls."

Root twitched. "Three?"

Hagen glanced at a sheet of paper on the table before him. "Yes. Yugi Mutou, Seto Kaiba, and Ryou Bakura."

"The three, of course, who know about our existence," Brug finished sharply.

_I'm going to kill that centaur_, Root thought. "Have the others been…classified?"

"We have reason to believe that the others manifest the same powers," Hagen said. "But it has not been ascertained. Are you keeping them under surveillance?"

"Yes. One of my best officers is on the job. Captain Trouble Kelp."

Vinyáya nodded approvingly. "A fine officer. I applaud your selection."

"The issue at hand is what we are to do with these Mud Men," Vox interrupted. "They pose a very serious threat to the People."

"Before you make your decision," Root said, his face beet-red, though he struggled to keep his voice level, "I want you to know this. These aren't just numbers you're dealing with. These are children, with names, personalities, hopes and fears. Just remember that when you're deciding what to do." Root was astonished at the level of his own passion. "They're Mud Men, but their lives still deserve some kind of consideration."

Several of the council members sat in stunned silence with mouths hanging open. "Eloquence" was not usually associated with Commander Julius Root. Nor was defending Mud Men.

"We will take your comments under consideration," Brug said weakly and cut the connection.

They eyed each other in silence for awhile.

"Well," said Vinyáya finally. "What do we do now?"

_We eliminate the threat to the People, _Vox thought. _Whatever it takes._

* * *

On the other side of the world, Commander Julius Root stared at Holly. His face was grim and determined. She recognized the look. He got it just before he did something monumentally risky and/or stupid.

"Captain Short, suit up," he said. Mulch was watching them both, wide-eyed. "We're going back to the game shop."

His eyes narrowed, and Holly felt a little chill run up her spine. "We're going to go introduce ourselves to Pharaoh."

"Why do you want to talk to me?" The man's voice over the telephone was wary, but Artemis detected a flicker of excitement, as though Mr. Harten already knew what he was about to say.

"Mr. Harten, I want to talk with you about Seto Kaiba."

The man laughed bitterly. "The police already investigated. They said he didn't do anything. Why are you bringing it up now?"

Artemis gripped the phone tightly. "Mr. Harten, I believe that I can get you justice."

There was a long moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Finally, Mr. Harten spoke. "How?"

"Tell me what happened. Why do you think you can link your assault to Mr. Kaiba?"

He was almost physically repulsed by the hatred in Mr. Harten's voice. "He came to me a few days before it happened….

"Thank you for agreeing to see me, Mr. Harten." Seto Kaiba laid a silver briefcase on the table and sat on the couch where his host indicated. Even seated, he oozed a sense of danger, like a coiled rattlesnake. Mr. Harten felt a shiver of fear run down his spine. It was hard to believe that the heir to the Kaiba fortune was not yet fourteen.

"Now, if we can get down to business," Kaiba continued. "I have heard that you are the owner of a Blue Eyes White Dragon."

Harten nodded. "I am." He couldn't help but smile. "It's my most prized possession."

"May I see it?" Kaiba asked, leaning forward. The eagerness on his face made him look more like the child he was.

Perhaps it was that look that gave Harten courage. "Of course." Carefully, he reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out a thin wooden box. He opened it and held it out for Kaiba's inspection.

The Blue Eyes lay on a bed of satin. The massive head was tilted at a proud angle, the wings half-spread as though preparing any moment to spring into action. Holding the box in his hands, Kaiba thought he could almost hear the roar.

Harten was unnerved by the look of longing and avarice that briefly crossed Kaiba's face as he held the box possessively. Then the expression disappeared and the boy handed the box back.

"Thank you."

Harten nodded and slipped the box back inside his jacket. "You're welcome."

Kaiba leaned forward again. "Mr. Harten, I am prepared to pay a great deal of money for your Blue Eyes. In fact, name your price."

Harten hesitated. The offer was generous, exceedingly so. But…

"I'm sorry, but I can't sell it to you," he told Kaiba as firmly as he could.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed slightly. "Well, if you won't sell it to me, perhaps you'll trade for it." He opened the silver briefcase and slid it around for Harten to see. Harten gasped. The case was full of rare cards. He had never seen so many in his entire life. Some of these cards were worth a fortune, and with all of them together…

"You'll trade me all these for my Blue Eyes?" he asked in awe. Kaiba nodded. "But…why?"

"Let's just say it's a dream of mine," Kaiba said coolly. "So, Mr. Harten, do we have a deal?"

The rare cards were like a siren's song. With an effort, Harten thought about his Blue Eyes. The temptation disappeared.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kaiba," he said again. "The Blue Eyes is worth more to me than anything you can pay me."

Kaiba closed the case with a snap. Despite his determination, Harten felt a surge of regret as the rare cards disappeared from view. Kaiba stood with a smooth motion and stood for a moment staring down at Harten, who was suddenly afraid. The coldness in the boy's eyes was palpable.

It's death, Harten thought irrationally. This boy's looking at me with death in his eyes.

"You will not give me the Blue Eyes?" Kaiba asked quietly, his tone even. "Think my offer over carefully, Mr. Harten."

Harten shook his head. "Thank you for your generosity, but no."

Kaiba smiled, the way Harten imagined a great white shark would smile at a seal just before it clamped it in its jaws. "Pity."

At the door he stopped and turned around. "I hope you reconsider, Mr. Harten."

Then without another word, he walked out, and Harten sank back in his chair with a ragged breath. The wooden box in his coat had never felt heavier.

Artemis smiled as he thanked Mr. Harten and hung up the phone. "Contact the Board of Child Services," he said to Butler. "I have everything I need."

* * *

"Yugi Mutou?"

Yugi halted a few steps from the game shop's front door and turned around. It was dark and he could see no one nearby. The mysterious voice was undeniably male, but as hard as he searched, he could not see the speaker.

"Who are you?" he asked, comforted by the square patch of light behind him emanating from his kitchen window. His hand rested on the Millennium Puzzle. He could feel the Pharaoh stirring awake in his golden prison, and the familiar feel of magic bubbling up inside, the familiar tightness in the throat.

Slowly, a boy appeared out of the darkness. At least in stature he resembled a boy, being about three feet tall. Yugi knew better than to judge someone's age based on height. His face was that of a man, with dark eyes and a beet-red coloring. Something told Yugi that this man, whoever he was, was not human.

_**Yugi… **_warned the Pharaoh's voice. Yugi could feel it too, an aura of magic that oozed out of the stranger's pores. It didn't feel _evil _or anything, just…different. Natural, like it was as much a part of this man as his pointed ears and…wait, _pointed_ ears? Yugi's conversation with Kaiba came back to him in a flash. Inside him, Pharaoh tensed.

"My name is Julius Root," the fairy said. "We need to talk."

"Now's not exactly a good time." Yugi forced himself to sound casual, just as he forced himself to turn and head for the front door of the game shop, senses alert for any sound behind him.

"Pharaoh."

Yugi stopped dead and turned around. Root was impressed by how little emotion he showed; his young face was suddenly like stone.

"You know me." It wasn't a question.

Root spread his hands. "Like I said, we need to talk."

Yugi nodded his head cautiously. "I think we do."

Root gestured towards the game shop. "May we come in?"

Yugi's skin prickled. "We?"

A second figure materialized besides the first. This one was female. Yugi's first thought, a product of being a teenage boy, was that she was very pretty. The second, more pragmatic, was _And dangerous._ This fairy was roughly the same height as the first. She was dressed the same way as Root too: black combat uniform. She had hazel eyes and an auburn crew cut. Despite her slightly intimidating appearance, Yugi could feel evidence of a good soul in the magic surrounding her. And if there was one thing Shadowmancers did well, it was judge souls.

"Holly Short," she said, and smiled. Despite himself, Yugi felt himself smiling back. She had a warm smile. Finally, he nodded and led the way towards the house.

"We can talk in my room."

As he approached the door, it was suddenly flung wide open. Yugi's grandpa stood in the doorway, his expression a mixture of anger and relief.

"Yugi! Where have you been? I've been worried sick!"

"Grandpa…" Yugi faltered slightly. "I went to visit Kaiba. He wanted to talk with me."

His grandpa pursed his lips. "What's wrong with the telephone?" he grumbled. "Why does he have to have you gallivanting across the city in the middle of the night?"

Yugi smiled, relieved that his grandfather wasn't really angry. "You know Kaiba."

Solomon Mutou nodded reluctantly. "I do." He gestured towards the door. "Well, come on in. But go straight up to bed, understand?"

"Grandpa…" Yugi began, unsure how to introduce his mysterious companions. He looked at them for support and his eyes opened wide. They weren't there! Where Root and Holly had stood was only empty air. Startled, Yugi reached out with his power. He could still feel them, just where they had been standing before. But for all intents and purposes, they were simply gone.

"Yugi?" His grandpa was looking at him quizzically.

"I'm glad you're not angry," Yugi improvised quickly as he trotted through the door his grandfather was holding open for him.

His grandpa sighed. "I'm not angry. I was just worried for you." There was a hint of steel in his voice as he continued. "But I might have a thing or two to say to Mr. Kaiba."

Yugi laughed. "I definitely want to see that. Well, goodnight." He hugged the old man around the middle, then climbed the stairs to his room. He was acutely aware of the two fairies that he could still feel following him.

_They know about Pharaoh._

He pushed open the door to his room, held it open for a few seconds, then retreated to his desk. Straining his eyes, he could just make out two faint heat smudges before the fairies materialized before him.

"What do you want?" Yugi asked slowly.

"We came to warn you," Root said, standing stiffly near the door. "And to talk with you."

"With Yugi? Or with me?" And just like that, Yugi changed. Appearance wise, he looked the same. Same crazy tri-colored hair, same violet eyes, same short stature. But Root could immediately tell the difference between the two. The Pharaoh's angular face had the undeniable air of nobility and confidence that Root had seen before on the Battle City poster. His eyes were hard and alert, and the fairy commander could see a strange…shifting near the pupils, as though something alive, something separate from the Pharaoh himself, was walled up just inside.

"With you."

The pharaoh inclined his head regally. "Then what did you wish to tell me?"

Root cleared his throat and began. "There are some among the Pe…our people who feel threatened by your power."

"I don't hurt those who don't hurt me," Pharaoh said coldly.

"That's what we're here to determine," Holly said.

They glared at each other fiercely for a minute before the pharaoh shook his head slowly. "I don't know what I can say to convince you," he said. "I know whatever I offer as proof will just be taken as an unsupported excuse at best, a deliberate trick at worst."

"Mud Me…Humans have not had magic in thousands of years," Root said. "You can't blame us for being careful."

The Pharaoh shook his head again. "No, I cannot. But you understand my dilemma." There was a moment of silence. "Why are you telling me this?"

"We don't think that someone should be…_threatened_ just because of something that cannot be controlled," Holly said.

The pharaoh tensed. "What do your people plan to do to me?"

_To_, not _with_. Holly inwardly fairy had an answer to that. They simply didn't know what the Council would do. And that was frightening.

Pharaoh was quiet for a long time. Then, "Can I count on you?"

"Yes," Holly said without hesitation, then stopped, stunned. She'd just pledged her help to a _human_, even against her own people. Without the permission of her commander.

To her surprise, Root did not hesitate either. "Yes."

For the first time, the Pharaoh smiled. The effect was radiant. His face was utterly beautiful when he smiled, almost unearthly.

"Thank you," he said warmly. "From both of us." .

The fairies shifted uncomfortably. "We need to go," Root said brusquely. "We left a kleptomaniac dwarf handcuffed in the back of our shuttle."

That startled a laugh out of the Pharaoh. "By all means, you should go."

Holly and Root shielded and were gone almost before the words had left his mouth. Yami watched as a matching pair of heat shimmers floated across the room and the window opened and closed, apparently without aid.

He sat down on his bed and sighed heavily. "So once again, my presence has brought danger," he murmured.

_**Yami, why didn't you tell them we don't know how to use most of our power? **_Yugi asked. _**Wouldn't that have shown them we aren't a threat?**_

_**We don't know yet if we can trust them, aibou, **_Yami answered. _**And I don't need to remember my past to remember this: never show weakness to an enemy.**_

_**An enemy? Yami, I can't keep treating everyone like a potential threat. **_

Yami folded his hikari into his arms. _**I'm sorry, Yugi, **_he said, _**but for now, I think we have to accept that this may turn into a war. **_

_**And we'll be in the middle of it.**_


	13. Chapter 13

"I shouldn't be telling you this."

Root stared at Councilwoman Vinyáya, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had traveled back to Haven overnight, in the hopes of overhearing information on the Council's decision. And now he had.

"A couple of the fairies in the science department have ascertained that the Magic Mud Men might not respond to the mind-wiping technology," Vinyáya said in an undertone. "The ones with real power, anyway."

"Which ones might not respond?" Root demanded, also in a low voice.

"Seto Kaiba and Ryou Bakura probably not. Yugi Mutou definitely not."

"What about the other two?"

Vinyáya hesitated for a moment. "Ishizu and Marik are the wild cards. There are some who postulate that _none _of the Mud Men will respond."

"But that doesn't make sense!" Root growled, his face going beet-red. "No Mud Man in human history has been immune to a mind- wipe!"

Vinyáya shrugged. "Foaly researched the power of the Millennium Items a little more. Apparently, one of the powers that have been attributed to them is resistance to magic, especially mind control."

"Foaly mentioned something to that effect," Root ground out between clenched teeth. "But how certain is it?"

"More than the majority of the Council is willing to risk." When Root's face reddened still further, she put up her hands in a defensive gesture. "Relax, Commander. I'm on your side."

"Relax. Sure." Root took a couple of deep (and highly ineffectual) breaths. "Okay, I'm calm. What did the Council decide?"

"We can't risk an attack on the People, Root," she said quietly.

"There's that pesky "we," Councilwoman."

"Control yourself, Commander," Vinyáya said sternly. "Brug has suggested the use of a bio-bomb."

"A bio-bomb?" Root's head was spinning. There was no way to protect Yugi and Pharaoh against that. Even if he was still willing to destroy his career and alienate the People by trying.

"There are other options on the table of course," Vinyáya said in a matter-of-fact tone. "The use of a LEP squad is always a possibility, but given your…_spirited_ defense of the Mud Men earlier, The Ferret has been circulating doubts about your…ability to do this particular job."

Root raised his eyebrows. "The Ferret?"

Vinyáya looked slightly embarrassed. "Councilman Vox."

They both chuckled. It helped relieve the tension. But the tone quickly became serious again. Root pulled out a cigar and lit it, inhaling deeply in an attempt to steady his head. Vinyáya wrinkled her nose, but made no other comment.

"I, along with Hagen, have been advocating attempting the mind-wipe procedure first, before further action is taken," she continued. "But I'm afraid the others, Vox and Brug especially, are determined to strike quickly. Bakura discovering our existence has just made things worse. He's…not entirely stable."

"He's the incarnation of an ancient Egyptian tomb robber," Root said almost absently. After his distinct lack of knowledge at the last Council meeting, he had wrung every last bit of information about the Mud Men from Foaly that the centaur had gathered. With only a small use of unnecessary violence.

"So I've heard."

"I think the bio-bomb is the most likely," Vinyáya said after a while. "Clean, contained, with no unnecessary officers involved. What I need is time to convince the Council that either the Mud Men are not a threat, or that we should at least attempt the mind-wipe procedure first."

"Time?" Root asked, fighting hard to keep his tone neutral.

Vinyáya met his eyes. "Time."

Slowly, a smile spread across Root's craggy face. In her own way, Vinyáya was giving him permission to keep his promise.

"It will be dangerous," Vinyáya said seriously. "If Vox and Brug send a bio-bomb, you might not be able to stop it."

Root shrugged. "You'll get your time."

She looked at him intently. Then she smiled. "I know I will. Good luck."

Without another word, Root left the room. He would have to hurry if he wanted to get back to Domino City that day. He had Mud Men to look after.

* * *

"A bio-bomb?" Yugi was sitting by his window again, his school backpack lying forgotten by his feet. The boy looked tired to Holly, like he hadn't slept very much last night. His violet eyes were dull. "What is that?"

"Basically," Holly said, "It's an explosive that's designed to only destroy biological matter. It doesn't affect buildings or…anything else, actually."

Yugi smiled wryly. "The perfect weapon. Nice and tidy." He thought about that for a moment, then said, "What can I do about it?"

"_We,_"Holly corrected firmly. "Are going to talk to Artemis Fowl. He's the only Mu…human that I've ever met that's managed to escape a blue rinse. The commander and I are going to protect you, Yugi."

"Thanks," Yugi said tiredly. He managed a wane smile. "I really appreciate it, Captain Short."

Holly smiled back. "Holly."

The boy's smile became a little more genuine. "Thanks…Holly."

_It looks like you're finally getting those nightmares, _Holly thought, feeling her heart clench. _Was the Puzzle worth it, Yugi?_

"Always," Yugi said with a yawn, bending down to pick up his backpack.

Holly was thunderstruck. "What?"

The boy looked back at her, violet eyes wide. "You didn't say that out loud?"

"No."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, looking flustered. "I sometimes…well, sometimes I can…I don't know…pick up on really strong thoughts. Feelings, really. I don't see words, just get impressions." He looked positively contrite. "I'm really sorry. I…I can't always control it."

_**Careful Yugi…**_ the Pharaoh warned.

"Pharaoh can," Yugi added hastily.

"You can read minds?" Holly demanded.

He shook his head. "Not really. Like I said, it's only impressions. You were feeling sorry for me, and there was kind of a…I don't know…questioning to the feeling, like you were wondering if the Puzzle was worth it." He sighed. "I'm not explaining this well."

"No, it's fine. I understand," Holly assured him quickly, though she was more than a little unnerved.

Yugi sighed again. "It's kind of a new thing."

Holly was intrigued. "You mean Pharaoh's power is getting stronger somehow?"

"Well, I think we're getting closer to discovering his true name," Yugi said matter-of-factly. "So, I guess it might be."

Holly frowned. Root had said something about Pharaoh not knowing his true name, but how would that correspond to his magic? Unless…

"Yugi, can you access the Pharaoh's full powers?" she asked.

"We share everything," Yugi replied evasively.

"That's not what I asked," Holly said, staring straight into his face. "What aren't you telling me?"

With a golden glow, the Pharaoh took over the body. Those supremely confident violet eyes bored into Holly's own. "Quite a bit, I imagine, Captain. But I'm not simply going to trust you with my secrets. Not until I have a bit more proof that I can trust you at all."

Holly glared, her temper piqued. "The commander and I are protecting you, against orders from our own people!" she snapped. "How is that not proof that you can trust us?"

Pharaoh's gaze softened ever so slightly. "Be patient. I appreciate what you're doing for us. Just be patient."

Holly hmmphed, slightly mollified.

Pharaoh seemed about to say something else, but just at that moment, Yugi's grandpa called up the stairs, "Yugi! You're going to be late for school!"

Without a single change in his expression, without bothering to relinquish the body, Pharaoh called back in Yugi's voice, "I'm coming, Grandpa!" He picked up his backpack from the floor and started towards the door.

"That's not a good idea," Holly said. "With Root not back yet, I might not be able to monitor you properly."

"I think I'll be safe enough," Yugi said cheerfully. Holly had missed the moment of transformation. Apparently, it didn't require the use of flashy golden light. "From what I understand, the Council won't want to bio-bomb a public place. Too many innocents would get hurt." His smile faded slightly. "Besides, my friends are there. I need to make sure they'll be okay."

Holly wanted to scold him. But for what? Caring about others? With a sigh, she shielded and followed Yugi out the door.

* * *

Bakura was scheming.

The idea of fairies was fascinating, especially since Yugi didn't seem to mean the ones that could be summoned using a Duel Disk. Or the little flying creatures that Bakura had seen little girls pretending to be with frilly pink dresses and lacy wands. Those always made the thief either want to puke or send someone to the Shadow Realm, depending on his mood.

_Was that the source of magic I felt last night? _he wondered, forcing himself to greet Joey, Tristan, and Tea in a friendly tone, instead of ripping their souls out and feeding on them, which, while extremely entertaining, was not so good when pretending to be a harmless high school student.

The first bell rang, and Bakura was startled to realize that Yugi was not there. A pity. The pharaoh's host was easy to fool, and was therefore likely to let slip some information that Bakura could use. Kaiba was there though, leaning back in his seat, looking bored.

The Thief King eyed him speculatively. Kaiba was an enigma, not a member of Yugi's pep squad, but friendly enough when it suited him, though it rarely did. He had a manipulative streak to match Bakura's own, and his cold façade masked a keen intelligence. If he hadn't been the reincarnation of that thrice-damned priest, Bakura might actually have liked him.

But Kaiba kept his own council. It was unlikely that he would be willing to talk to Bakura about the subject of a private meeting. Still…

As Bakura approached, Kaiba looked up. His outward expression did not change, but the Thief King could feel him tensing, no longer bored. His blue eyes were wary, but not particularly hostile.

"Hello, Kaiba," Bakura chirped in his host's annoyingly chipper voice. "Where's Yugi?"

"Ask the Geek Squad," Kaiba said coldly.

Bakura mimed a nervous glance in the Geek Squad's direction. They too were waiting for Yugi. "In all honesty, they scare me."

The corner of Kaiba's mouth twitched. "You surprise me, Bakura. I wouldn't have thought you were scared of anything."

Bakura managed not to snort. Ryou was frightened of everything; it sickened Bakura's stomach. Spiders, the dark, motorcycles…wait. Was Kaiba making a subtle reference to _him_? The memory of Kaiba's voice floated up to the forefront of Bakura's mind.

"_Spare me the lecture, Yugi." _A pause. "_Pharaoh."_

_Kaiba believes in magic, _the thief reminded himself. He surveyed the other boy again through new eyes. And gasped. Magic roiled beneath the surface of Kaiba's skin. It was wild, uncontrolled, but frighteningly strong. Bakura was appalled. He had never viewed Kaiba with magic in mind, not since he had reassured himself that Kaiba did not have Seth's abilities.

_When did Kaiba get hold of magic?_

Bakura forced himself to breathe. Kaiba didn't know how to use his power; his magic had none of the precision Seth's power had once had, for all it was as strong. Kaiba's eyes narrowed under the scrutiny, and Bakura forced a laugh.

"That's flattering. But not true, I'm afraid."

Kaiba did not smile at the joke. "What do you want?" he asked. Yes, the king of small talk, that was Kaiba.

"Nothing," Bakura said as airily as possible, and was saved from further conversation by the arrival of Yugi. The boy was panting, hands on knees; he had clearly run all the way from the game shop. He was sweating. Bakura could see a faint heat smudge in the air at the tiny boy's shoulder. Yugi caught his breath, then came over to Kaiba's desk.

"Hey, Kaiba," he said cheerfully. Bakura winced. If Ryou's voice was annoying, Yugi's was downright nausea-inducing. "I was wondering if you wanted to spend the night at my house tonight."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. Bakura could feel his scorn. "I've got better things to do, Yugi, then sit around with your pals and exchange friendship stories."

Yugi's face became a little bit more solemn. "There's someone I really want you to meet."

Kaiba was silent for a moment. Then Yugi said, "Mokuba should come too. You know, safety in numbers and all that." He said it in a joking tone, but Bakura could hear the tension underneath.

"I'll let you know," Kaiba said finally.

Yugi smiled. "I hope you can make it."

"Can I come too?" Bakura asked. He could easily guess whoit was that Yugi wanted Kaiba to meet.

Yugi hesitated, then smiled. "Sure, Bakura," he said. "It'll be fun."

"Great!" Bakura said, giving him a big (and totally fake) smile. "I'm looking forward to it." Inside, he was gloating. _He's so trusting. And so stupid!_

Kaiba eyed Yugi thoughtfully. He remembered the transformation he had seen Bakura undergo a few days before all too well. Did Yugi not know about Bakura's other side? Was he really so naïve? Then he caught Yugi's grim expression as Bakura turned away, and realized, _He knows all too well._

But then, why invite him, especially to meet with a fairy representative? Kaiba was intrigued.

"Yugi," he called, as the other boy turned to go back to his seat. "I'll see you tonight."

Yugi gave him a wide smile. His violet eyes showed his relief. "Grandpa and I'll be glad to have you. Is eight alright?"

Kaiba nodded. He'd have to leave work early, but… "Fine."

* * *

"You invited the Tomb Robber to spend the night?"

Root's face was an ample reminder of why his officers had secretly nicknamed him "Beetroot." Yugi was mildly surprised he didn't go into cardiac arrest right then and there. It was nearly eight, and the fairy commander, when he had returned, had not been too pleased with the turn of events. Mulch, who was handcuffed to Yugi's desk far from any valuables was watching the whole argument with a wide toothy smile.

"I had to. Bakura's a friend, and I don't want him to get hurt," Yugi said.

"Bakura's a murdering psychopath!" Root yelled, though he kept his voice a little lower this time. "Confirming his suspicions about the People is not a good idea."

"Believe me," Yugi said, leaning forward slightly, his violet eyes narrowing. His sweet, gentle face had turned harsh. "If it was just the spirit of the Ring, I would cheerfully let him be bio-bombed. In fact, I'd probably help the People to do it." The two fairies watched with wide eyes. "But it's not. Ryou Bakura is still in there, and he should not have to die because of the monster sharing his body!"

"I'm impressed, Yugi," came a drawling voice from the direction of the bedroom door. They all turned to see Bakura sidle in, dropping a duffle bag casually on the floor as he did. "I didn't think you had it in you." He smirked at the two fairy officers, who were watching him warily, their hands straying near their holstered Neutrinos. His angular face adopted a sweet expression.

"Ryou Bakura," he said in a soft, slightly accented voice. "A pleasure to meet you both."

They nodded to him. Neither introduced themselves.

Bakura smirked again, and his eyes fell on Mulch. The dwarf shrank back against the desk, trying to make himself as small as possible. He gave a feeble little wave.

"Hi," he said weakly.

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "I remember you. You were the one who attempted to steal my Millennium Ring." His hand went to the golden Item hung around his neck. "We have some unfinished business, you and I."

Root snorted. "Normally, I'd wish you luck and tell you to have fun," he said. "But I don't much like you, Tomb Robber, and so I'm afraid you'll have to restrain yourself."

Bakura looked at him with a sneer, but apparently decided that whatever he wanted to do to the dwarf wasn't worth causing trouble this early in the game. Instead, he turned his gaze back on Mulch and said, "What's your name, Hairy?"

The dwarf drew himself up indignantly. "Mulch Diggums. Fairy dwarf and expert at breaking and entering."

Bakura's eyes lit up a little at that. "Really? Your luck doesn't seem very good at the moment." He nodded at the handcuffs.

Mulch bared his teeth in a grotesque grin. "A minor setback. I bet I could teach you a thing or two."

Bakura smirked. "I doubt that." But he went and sat down at Yugi's desk next to the dwarf, where they immediately started whispering to each other. There was a lot of evil laughter and an occasional "You didn't!" and "This one time…" Root was relieved that the thief was distracted, at least for the moment. Tonight was going to be hard enough without his interference.

Moments later, there was the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Yugi stood just as Kaiba swept into the room in a billow of white trench-coat. He was carrying a small duffle bag in one hand and his omnipresent silver briefcase in the other. He dropped the bag onto the floor next to Bakura's and turned his piercing blue gaze on the fairies. Root had to admit he cut an impressive figure. Even the ridiculous coat looked somehow regal.

"I am Seto Kaiba," he said without preamble. "Who are you?"

Root drew himself up, extremely conscious of how short he was compared to the human teenager. "I am LEP Commander Julius Root, and this is Captain Holly Short." He cast a dismissive glance in Mulch's direction. The dwarf was still engaged in conversation with Bakura, who had glanced up only briefly when Kaiba had entered the room. "And that's Mulch Diggums."

"Kaiba," Yugi said. His voice had become Pharaoh's deep baritone. "Where is Mokuba?"

"I saw no reason to expose my brother to a potentially dangerous situation," Kaiba answered coolly. He glanced at the fairies again. "I came for information."

"I fear the situation is even more dangerous than you think, Kaiba," Pharaoh said grimly, and proceeded to explain the Council's decision, and the possibility of a bio-bomb.

Holly spoke up when he had finished. "Fortunately, Artemis Fowl, the only human to have survived a blue rinse, is in town, and may be able to help us."

Kaiba stiffened. "I had heard Fowl was in Domino City," he said. "But I will _not _seek help from him."

"Then _I'll_ go see him tomorrow," the Pharaoh said sternly. "If he can help us escape the bio-bomb, then we can protect not only ourselves, but our loved ones as well." He stared at Kaiba pointedly. "If it will keep Mokuba safe, will you disdain Fowl's help?"

Kaiba's shoulders sagged in defeat. _His brother is his weak link, _Root realized. He glanced in Bakura's direction and saw that the Tomb Robber was watching Kaiba as well, a small smirk playing about his lips.

"Fine," Kaiba snapped. "But I will _not _interact with him at all."

"How do you know Artemis Fowl?" the Pharaoh asked, eyes narrowed.

"Business," Kaiba said curtly. His tone made it very clear that he was not willing to expand upon the subject. Pharaoh did not press him.

"Root," he said instead. "Is there any way to destroy the bio-bomb once it is within range of its target?"

Root shrugged. "Not to my knowledge. Not unless you can somehow divert it or suck it into a black hole."

Bakura smirked. "Then I shouldn't have a problem."

Holly wondered what he meant by that, but Root ignored him. "For now, we'll stay together, and Holly and I will provide as much advance warning of the bio-bomb as possible. Tomorrow, we will find somewhere else to stay."

"Because now we're practically shouting 'We're all together. Bio-bomb us!'" Bakura said.

"The bio-bomb won't be launched this quickly," Holly said. "The Council will want to gather more information first. Plus it has to be transported across the ocean. It's strictly a short-range missile."

"Oh yes," Mulch said. "That's a great deal of comfort."

"Shut up, Convict, unless you want to spend the rest of the night handcuffed in the back of the shuttle!" Root roared.

"Yugi," came the voice of Yugi's grandpa from just outside the bedroom door. "Who's that in there with you?"

The fairies were shielded and Mulch concealed behind a sheet of cam-foil by the time the door had fully opened. Pharaoh was gone, to be replaced by a smiling Yugi. He gestured towards Bakura, who had adopted his most innocent appearance. "Grandpa, you remember Bakura, right?" he said.

The old man nodded. "It's good to see you again, Bakura," he said graciously.

Bakura nodded earnestly. "A pleasure to see you again, sir." Looking at him, it was hard to believe that this same boy took great pleasure in causing pain and stealing souls; he looked like the most mild-mannered of teenagers.

Yugi gestured at Kaiba with another smile. "And I know you know Kaiba."

Solomon Mutou's smile chilled considerably. "Of course. Welcome."

"I've invited them to stay the night," Yugi added, a trifle anxiously.

Kaiba nodded stiffly. "Thank you for allowing us to stay the night in your home, Mr. Mutou."

The old man thawed a little at Kaiba's polite words and clearly decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "The pleasure is mine."

He turned towards the door. "If you boys need anything, just ask."

"Thanks Grandpa," Yugi said brightly, sidling along behind his grandfather and starting to push the door closed.

Mr. Mutou frowned. "And try to be a little more quiet. I can hear you from downstairs."

"We will, Grandpa," Yugi said. As the old man left the room, Yugi shut the door with a sigh of relief. Root and Holly reappeared, folding the cam-foil as they did.

"Let that be a lesson to you," Bakura told them snidely. "Yugi's grandpa has a tendency to appear at the most inconvenient times." Then, more quietly, but still audible to the entire room. "Meddling, senile old fool."

Yugi kicked him. Hard, right between the legs. As Bakura doubled over with a curse and a groan of pain, Yugi turned to the rest of the group and said serenely, "Anyone up for a game of cards?"

* * *

They played cards – Pharaoh won – and talked until nearly midnight. Bakura didn't cause trouble. Maybe he admired Yugi's sudden rash of bravery, or maybe he was just saving his revenge for a more opportune moment. Either way, the evening passed quite pleasantly until it was time to get ready for bed.

_**Yami, **_Ryou said suddenly. Bakura started; his host had been quiet all night. _**Let me take over. I'll get us ready for bed, brush our teeth and all that. **_

Bakura was suspicious. _**Why are you being so accommodating all of the sudden?**_

Ryou shrugged. _**I know how much you hate taking care of the mundane stuff, Bakura. I don't mind it.**_

Secretly, Bakura was relieved. He _did _hate performing menial tasks and physical upkeep. There was some small advantage in keeping his host's soul active, if controlled. _**Very well, Landlord. **_The brief freedom would keep Ryou content and quiet, letting Bakura focus his attention on more pressing things. He yawned and entered his soul room.

He awoke late that night, once again in control of the body. He was lying on something soft, the bed presumably, and his head was resting comfortably on something warm.

He turned his head idly to the side. On the floor next to the bed, he could see Kaiba lying in his sleeping bag. The other boy was asleep, and Bakura thought that he looked surprisingly innocent and sweet while sleeping. Mulch was snoring in the corner, huddled under some blankets Yugi had thoughtfully found for him. Holly was dozing in a chair, and Root was standing at the window, staring at the stars.

Then Bakura's brain snapped abruptly into focus. Wait! Then what…?

He glanced to the other side and almost puked. The source of warmth he had been snuggled up to just a moment before was _Pharaoh_! Bakura's head had been lying on the other man's shoulder, and Bakura was horrified to realize that his arm had been cuddling the pharaoh's waist. The thief looked down at himself. When getting ready for bed, Ryou had "forgotten" to put on the pajama shirt, only bothering with the pants. The true impact of the situation hit Bakura with full force.

He was lying, semi-naked, in bed with Pharaoh! Who, apparently, also slept in just pajama bottoms.

Bakura let out a yelp of horror and scrambled away as fast as he could. In his haste, he fell out of bed, landing on Kaiba with a startled _oof!_ The others were awake in moments. Holly jumped up, her hand going to her belt, and Kaiba shoved Bakura away with a muttered curse. "Get off me!"

Bakura backed up as far as he could. Pharaoh was awake too by this time, and was sitting up in bed rubbing his eyes. "What's going on?" he asked sleepily. Root was laughing.

"Noticed, did you?" he said to Bakura.

Bakura could hear Ryou chuckling inside his soul room. _I am going to kill him for this_, he thought. _I don't care about the consequences. I am going to _kill _him._

Ryou just started laughing all the harder. Apparently, he had decided to throw caution to the winds. _**Oh, Bakura. You should have seen your face!**_

* * *

Usually, Kaiba was much better at responding to his mail. He got very little anyway, receiving most of his communications through email or faxes. He preferred to conduct any other communication through face-to-face interaction, because it allowed him to get the measure of the other person, as well as use his legendary powers of intimidation to their best effect. So he didn't get many letters at all, except for bills and ads, which hardly counted.

He hadn't gone to sleep again after the bed incident had smoothed over and Bakura had been soothed. (Okay, he had been physically prevented from throttling Pharaoh and had been stunned into unconsciousness by Holly's buzz baton when he refused to surrender quietly). Kaiba was a light sleeper, and if woken up, usually spent the remainder of the night working on his computer.

He tried that for a time, but found that he was too restless to concentrate. He couldn't stop thinking about Mokuba. Having heard about the bio-bomb, he was now worried that his little brother would not be safe at home alone with only the servants to watch over him. So, despite Root's noisy protests, he packed up his bag, neatly rolled up the sleeping bag that Yugi had lent him, and let himself out the front door.

The roads were nearly empty. It was, after all, nearly three in the morning. He drove in silence, thinking on what he knew and trying to come up with a way to escape a bio-bomb. If Fowl could do it, he'd be damned if Seto Kaiba couldn't do it too.

He let himself in, walking silently through the main hall and up the stairs to the second floor. He checked on Mokuba, who was sleeping peacefully. With a feeling of immeasurable relief, he retreated to his office in the hopes that, with his brother just next door, he would be able to concentrate on his work for the remainder of the night.

Therefore, it was extremely late when he finally got around to the tiny pile of mail that Roland had thoughtfully placed in the center of his desk.

He picked up a long white envelope, glanced at the name with distaste, then slit the letter open. He began to read.

The letter dropped from Kaiba's limp hand onto the floor. He stared at it, willing himself to bend down and retrieve it, but he couldn't move. His blue eyes, normally keen and penetrating, were blank. Staring.

"Seto?" Mokuba's voice came from the doorway just behind him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Mokuba," he croaked out. He stooped and picked up the letter, tucking it inside his jacket. "Just a little sleep-deprived."

Mokuba padded across the carpeted floor of Seto's office barefoot and wrapped his arms tightly around his brother from behind. "Well no wonder. It's four in the morning and you're still awake. I thought you were spending the night at Yugi's."

Abruptly, Kaiba turned in Mokuba's hug and knelt down so he could look his little brother in the face.

"I love you, Mokuba. You know that, right?"

Mokuba put his hand against Seto's forehead. "Are you alright, Seto?" he asked again. His voice was worried. "You're acting kind of strange."

"Hugging you is strange?" Seto stood. His laugh was bitter. "Maybe I'm really the monster they say I am."

Mokuba hugged him as tightly around the waist as he could. "Don't say that. Don't ever say that. I love you too, Seto. You're a good man," he cracked a smile, "Behind the grumpiness. No matter what anyone else says."

Seto smiled too and ruffled Mokuba's unruly black hair. "Speaking of grumpiness, what are _you _doing up at four in the morning?"

Mokuba grinned his most mischievous grin. "_Somebody's _got to keep an eye on you." He tugged on his big brother's hand. "C'mon Seto. As long as you're here, you need to at least try and go back to sleep."

Seto let himself be dragged a few feet before stopping and bending down. He hugged Mokuba tightly, his face buried in the boy's shoulder. They stood there for a long time, the Kaiba brothers, seeking comfort and support from one another.

With his arms wound tightly around his brother, half-crouching in his office, Kaiba could almost forget the terrible words that were burned in his mind, the words that topped the letter now tucked into his breast pocket.

_Dear Mr. Kaiba:_

_In light of alleged criminal activity that has recently come to our attention, the Board of Child Services would like to review your guardianship of Mokuba Kaiba to discuss whether or not it should be repealed…_


	14. Chapter 14

"Commander Root. Holly," the slender dark-haired boy at the door greeted with a smirk. "I had not expected the pleasure of your company." He nodded at Mulch as well, his smile cooling a little, then his eyes flickered to Yugi. "And you've brought a friend." In all his life, Yugi had never seen a boy his own age look so…predatory. Kaiba was a few years older.

"Fowl," Root said without preamble. "We need to talk."

With a shrug, Artemis Fowl took a step back, tacitly giving them permission to enter the hotel room. Once inside, Yugi looked around in admiration. The room must have cost nearly as much as the game shop earned in a month. It was tastefully decorated in the modern style, and the furnishings were brand-new. With a gasp, Yugi's eyes caught on the huge mountain of a man who was folded into a chair at the other end of the suite. He was reading a magazine, but as the others entered, he stood up. Yugi gasped again, feeling a fool. The man must be almost seven feet tall! An aura of danger radiated from the man as he casually strolled to Fowl's side, shielding him from potential harm. The Pharaoh reached out in Yugi's mind, calming him, offering him confidence.

"Commander," the man mountain greeted. He smiled slightly as he looked at Holly. "Captain Short. To what do we owe the honor?"

Holly grinned. "Good to see you too, Butler." She gestured towards Yugi. "This is Yugi Mutou. We have a particular…challenge, Artemis, that you may be the best person to address."

Artemis smirked and seated himself in a chair. "A challenge? I am intrigued; continue."

As tersely as possible, Commander Root explained about Yugi's…unusual abilities (Yugi noticed he did not mention Kaiba), as well as the Council's intention to use a bio-bomb to eliminate the threat. Artemis listened in silence, his fingers steepled beneath his chin.

When Root had finished, Fowl treated him to his best vampire smile. "So you came to me, because I am the only human to have ever survived a blue rinse. How flattering."

Before Root could explode, Holly swiftly stepped in. "Don't play games, Artemis. We want your help to save innocent lives."

_Lives? _Artemis thought with interest. But before he could frame a question, Mulch broke into the conversation with all the gracefulness of an elephant attempting to tap dance. "Before you start into all that," the dwarf complained, "Could someone _please _get me something to eat? The thought of imminent dying makes me work up an appetite."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, but then nodded at Butler. The giant bodyguard disappeared into the next room: to the kitchen, presumably, but not before he leveled a death glare at the dwarf, who at that very moment had been trying to sneak a rather large sculpture into his jacket. The dwarf gulped and hastily returned the statue to its proper place.

Artemis continued as though nothing had happened. "The reason I was able to avoid the bio-bomb in the past was because the LEP initiated a time-stop," he explained. "From what you've described, that doesn't seem to be a factor in this case." He spread his hands. "I would need time to think if I wished to avoid the bio-bomb without that particular factor in play."

"Then think!" Holly said angrily. "That's what you're supposed to be so good at, Mud Boy. We don't have a lot of time."

Artemis raised his eyebrow again. "Resorting to racial epithets is a rather infantile response, Captain Short." Then he seemed to relent. "I _will _help you, but only under the condition that you inform me of _all _the factors in play. In other words, full disclosure." His eyes met Yugi's. "Will that be possible?"

"I will certainly try to help in any way I _can_," Yugi said blandly.

Fowl's eyes narrowed. "Very well. Then let us begin."

* * *

Foaly rubbed his eyes sleepily. He had been seated at the computer for nearly twenty-four hours straight, clandestinely monitoring Root and Holly, as well as looking for anything that would help the People deal with the threat of the Magic Mud Men. Hopefully, _without_ resorting to a bio-bomb.

Foaly chuckled. _Magic Mud Men_. He never got tired of saying it. Especially when a certain Julius Root was around, so Foaly could watch his face turn purple.

The centaur felt his head spin a little and reached for his cup of coffee. Empty. Foaly cursed fluently in several languages for several minutes, and decided that when the coffee disappeared, it was a sign to go to bed. The Mud Men could wait until later. Much later, like after eight hours sleep, a hot shower, and a Starbucks run. The world couldn't end in eight hours time, could it?

Foaly yawned, and decided he didn't care. He was practically asleep on his feet…um…hooves. He was in the process of hauling his unwieldy hindquarters out of his custom-made swivel chair when he caught sight of the screen…and froze.

For the past couple of hours, the centaur had been combing records from the time of the Nameless Pharaoh. From what he'd been able to gather, the guy had been a reasonably good king. Came to power (lots of power), died young. Still, there wasn't much information about the man, and it always paid to be prepared.

On a lark, Foaly had also been running searches on fairy history of that time. Perhaps the People had had contact with Shadowmancers before, though perhaps that was too much to hope for. Actually, he'd been running one of these searches when the coffee ran dry.

And now there was a match.

Exhaustion forgotten, the centaur dropped back into his chair and stared at the screen. There, at the bottom, in small lettering, were the words "Treaty with Pharaoh…"

There was space for a name after "Pharaoh," but it was as though the computer had forgotten it, or wiped it blank. Foaly frowned. Glitches in his beloved computers always made him cranky. He ran a full diagnostic scan on the file, but the result came up clear. No errors. Then why…?

Then he understood. The Nameless Pharaoh. The Pharaoh who had erased his name from history in an attempt to save the world. The People had dealt with him specifically?

Foaly tried to access the file. An error message flashed. The centaur frowned again and pressed a couple of keys. This time, the file opened. Foaly grinned in triumph.

It was blank. Erased. Clearly, this file had once contained a report of some kind, documentation of the treaty with the Nameless Pharaoh. But it was gone.

Foaly leaned forward and pressed a button, opening a secure channel to Julius Root on the other side of the world. Root answered after only a moment or two.

"What is it, Foaly?"

"Commander," the centaur said, staring at the screen and feeling the tension in the pit of his stomach. Had the file been erased deliberately? Or had it just been corrupted by the passage of time and the poor data storage methods in the early days of the People? "I found something I think you should know about."

* * *

"In light of this new development, the Board simply does not believe that you make a good guardian for young Mokuba Kaiba." The stares from the Board members were just short of hostile. A bad sign.

Kaiba stood in the center of the room, fists clenched, trying to hold on to his temper. "Any accusations of criminal activity are unwarranted, Mr. Garning," he said. "I believe I am innocent until proven guilty."

"But surely if you were entirely blameless, these rumors would not arise?" old and angular Ms. Cross asked. She smiled a sickly sweet smile. "Surely you understand our position, Mr. Kaiba. We cannot allow a child to be raised in a household where there is the possibility of serious crimes being committed. And of course, there is the age consideration. You are, Mr. Kaiba, a minor, correct?"

"I turn eighteen in four months," Kaiba said stiffly.

Ms. Cross smiled that sickly sweet smile again. "That is not what I asked," she said.

Kaiba fought the urge to lunge across the room and strangle her. Murdering a member of the Board of Child Services when under the suspicion of committing violent crimes was probably pretty high on the "DON'T" list. A shame really. Kaiba did not generally consider himself a violent man, but every fiber of his being longed to dismantle Ms. Cross' smug smile. Not the least because, in all probability, _she _would be the one to take Mokuba away.

_No! _Kaiba told himself. _Don't think that way! You won't lose him. You won't! _He lifted his head and stared each Board member in the eye.

"I have committed no crimes," he said in a clear, ringing voice. Gozaboro had taught him well; nothing short of the mind-reading powers of the Millennium Eye would be able to tell that he was lying at that moment. "Such allegations are completely unfounded, and I expect that further investigation will reveal this to your satisfaction."

There was a rash of muttering through the room. The Board members were looking at each other doubtfully; the apparent sincerity in the young man's voice was disarming. He did not flinch from their scrutiny. Ms. Cross, apparently the spokesperson for the group, finally spoke again. "The strength of your denial is admirable, Mr. Kaiba," she said. "But that does not change the facts that we have only your word, no hard facts." She paused. "I propose that Mokuba be placed in a foster home until the police have investigated thoroughly."

"You have no right to remove my brother from my care," Kaiba said, his voice cold enough now that a few of the Board members shivered. "The "possibility for serious crime" as you called it exists in _every _family, not just mine."

"Not every family is under suspicion of murder!" Ms. Cross said shrilly.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. _Murder? Gozaboro? _Then he frowned as his thoughts took a new turn. _Who would accuse _me_ of murder? Who would _dare_? _A nagging suspicion started forming at the back of his mind, but he was distracted by Ms. Cross' voice.

"We will discuss this more. But I suggest," here she leered unpleasantly. "That you tell Mokuba to start pack his things."

Kaiba fought down an urge to tear her heart, assuming she had one, out of her chest with his bare hands. "Just make sure if you decide to take the one relative that I have remaining away from me that you are doing it for _his _sake, not because of a personal vendetta against me." He looked up at her, ignoring her gasp of outrage. "And that you understand the consequences."

She swelled up like a giant puffer-fish. "Are you _threatening _me?"

Now Kaiba smirked. "I wouldn't dare. I meant the consequences of tearing a young boy away from the only family he's ever known."

With that, he turned and left, aware that he moved stiffly, rigidly, tension humming through every line of his body. He made a concentrated effort to relax. It was a hopeless task. Now that he was no longer before the committee, he could feel a wave of despair rising up to tear him apart.

_I can't lose Mokuba, _he thought desperately, leaning against a wall and dropping his head into his hands. _I can't! _

Memories flashed through his head: Mokuba giving him a drawing of a Blue Eyes White Dragon, how the small boy had kept him strong through Gozaboro's torture, how he always had a smile just when Seto needed it the most.

Seto Kaiba was never one for self-pity. He took a slow, deep breath, and with that breath, regained control. One of Gozaboro's lessons: only fools blubber instead of seeking a solution. He pushed himself away from the wall and walked towards the receptionist's desk, relieved to see that his stride was smooth and graceful again. The woman looked up as he approached; she was blonde with wide blue eyes and a sizable chest. Kaiba thought of Mokuba and smiled as warmly as he could.

"Hello," he said, leaning down and watching as her eyes widened in appreciation. Charm was a tactic he rarely used, but he was well aware of his impact on the opposite sex. "I was hoping you could help me."

"I can try," she said flirtatiously, leaning forward and giving him a much better view down the front of her shirt.

_This is almost too easy. _"Do you know if the Board will be meeting again this week? I want to know when I can expect a decision on my case."

"Let's take a look," she said, pulling up the schedule on her computer, "It says here there will be another Board meeting on Wednesday and another on Friday. Perhaps your case will be discussed then?"

"You seem very organized," Kaiba said admiringly. "They're lucky to have you."

She preened a little. "It's not so hard. And it's interesting to watch all the different people coming through." As she spoke, her eyes roved up and down his body.

Seto returned the scrutiny, and gave the wide smile of a man who liked what he saw. "What time do you get off?" he asked. Part of him wondered if he was laying it on too thick or too fast.

But it seemed to work. Her smile widened. "At five."

"Let me take you out to dinner?"

She pretended to consider it, but Seto could tell he had her. "I think I can make it."

He let the flirty smile soften into a sweet, boyish grin that people who knew him wouldn't have thought he'd be capable of. "Good. I'll pick you up?"

"I'll be here." She gave a coquettish giggle and waved to him as he left. As soon as he was out of her line of sight, he let the smile fade, replacing it with his usual stony expression.

_I will do _anything _to keep Mokuba, _he thought to himself, sliding in behind the wheel of his car. _Anything._

* * *

"Well, that was interesting," Artemis said when Yugi and the others had departed.

Butler inwardly winced. There was that word again. _Interesting._

"They're hiding something from me," Artemis continued, steepling his hands under his chin. "I want to figure out what."

Butler thought about it for a moment or two. "You think that Yugi and that other one…Bakura?...aren't the only humans with magic in Domino City?"

Artemis nodded. "Yugi is a poor liar. Pharaoh though…"

For a brief moment during their meeting, Yugi had allowed the pharaoh to take control of their shared body. The change was immediate. Yugi seemed to grow several inches, though that may just have been the incredible confidence that settled over him. The violet eyes had seemed suddenly depthless. He had considered Artemis with the detachment of a scientist eying a dissecting specimen. But then he had smiled, and, if Artemis was given toward romanticizing, he might have said that the man's face channeled sunlight. A leader that others would follow, that they would give their lives for. Artemis had had to mentally slap himself to keep himself from instinctively sinking to his knees.

A force to be reckoned with.

"This poses an interesting problem," Artemis said, opening a bottle of Irish spring water. "I look forward to putting my mind at work and finding a solution."

"Artemis," Butler pleaded suddenly. "You have an immense vocabulary. _Please _use another adjective. I'm beginning to equate 'interesting' with 'we're going to get in a lot of trouble.'"

Artemis looked startled for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "I find the problem intriguing, exciting, fascinating, appealing, remarkable, worthy of note, stimulating, absorbing, invigorating, thought-provoking, extraordinary, astonishing, enticing, and significant. Are any of those better, old friend?"

"Yes," Butler said reluctantly. _But not by much._

* * *

"Pharaoh, we need to talk."

Yugi looked up sharply. He was in the process of opening his backpack to check what homework his teachers had assigned that weekend. Unfortunately, just because you're in danger of being killed by fairy police, it doesn't mean that you can explain that to your teachers and be excused from schoolwork.

"He's listening," he said to Root, who was currently hovering near the window. Holly and Mulch were doing sweeps in the shuttle.

Root folded his arms. "Directly."

Alarmed now, Yugi reached inside himself for the power he knew was there. In the Millennium Puzzle, Pharaoh stirred, and, feeling Yugi's call, rose quickly to the surface.

"What is it?" he asked, mirroring Root's stance of crossed arms and widely-set feet.

"Why didn't you tell us you've dealt directly with the People before?" Root demanded.

_**What?**_ Yugi's voice echoed in Pharaoh's head. Yami didn't let any of his confusion show on his face. "I didn't know."

"What do you mean?" Root looked positively incensed. "How can you not know?"

For a fraction of a second, Pharaoh's confident expression faltered. "I do not remember my past," he said slowly. "When I sacrificed my body and soul to save the world, I gave up my name, my identity." He paused. "Or so I have been told. I do not remember."

Root froze as the implication of this sank in. He knew that this particular Pharaoh was called "the Nameless Pharaoh," but to realize that this extended to memories as well. "You can't control your power, can you?" he asked in a strangely quiet voice. "That control was linked to your memories."

Pharaoh hesitated. "No."

Root all but exploded. "And you didn't think to tell us this before?"

Pharaoh's eyes narrowed and he met Root's angry gaze directly, without flinching. "I didn't know if I could trust you, Commander. Your people are trying to kill me. At any rate," he added, "I _can _control aspects of it. As I learn more, as I live more in Yugi's body, with each new discovery, I gain more power, get closer to remembering my past. But…without my true name, I cannot access my full potential. I am limited to instinct."

Root gaped, momentarily stricken dumb with fury.

Pharaoh continued, his gaze challenging. "Instinct for a Shadowmancer is a powerful thing. I am _not_ helpless."

Root took a couple of calming breaths. "As if I needed this to become any more complicated."

Now Pharaoh smiled, a wry grin that transformed his face into something close to radiant. "Welcome to my world."

* * *

Seto Kaiba's smile faded the instant Melissa, the receptionist, waved goodbye and closed her front door. He retreated to his car, slid behind the wheel, and thought about what he had accomplished.

At five, he had returned to the Board of Child Services building in a dark blue suit that matched his eyes and a sleek black limo. Melissa had been entranced. She had insisted on stopping by her apartment to "tidy up," and Seto had acceded. She had been like a little girl in the limo, getting herself a bottle of wine and reclining in the soft cushioned seats. Seto encouraged this; his plan would work better if she had had a little to drink first.

She had emerged from the apartment twenty minutes later, dressed in a – Seto had to admit – stunning blue dress that was low-cut and tight in all the right places. She had looked very pretty, though he rarely noticed such things, and Seto had been relieved that perhaps the night would not be all business. He had complimented her, of course, smiling a sexy smile that had her giggling and twirling in the short skirt. The smile was a bit rusty from long disuse, but Melissa hadn't seemed to mind.

Her delight had only increased when they had reached the restaurant. The surroundings were lavish, the food exquisite. _Do you eat here all the time, Seto? _Actually, Seto rarely ate out, and preferred more Spartan surroundings when he did.

"Only with the pretty girls." To his own ears, the words had sounded fake, stilted, but seeing her look of adoration, Seto had wondered briefly what he was getting himself into.

_It's for Mokuba, _he had reminded himself as he ordered them a bottle of wine.

A little known fact about Seto Kaiba: he had a tolerance for alcohol usually reserved for Irish dockworkers. He had toasted frequently, slipping in small smiles and compliments, and watching as Melissa became tipsy, then intoxicated. He had gently stopped her then; he wanted her to remember his request in the morning. The wine gave an attractive flush to her features, and Seto had found his voice, usually harsh, becoming husky of its own accord. He pictured Mokuba's face and focused on the task at hand.

"Melissa," he had said gently, after several glasses of wine. "I need you to find out something for me."

"Anything," she had whispered breathlessly.

They had sealed the deal with a kiss. Seto had tasted the wine on her lips. A deep sense of longing had swept over him, but he had buried with the rest of his emotions, focusing coldly on what he was gaining with the embrace.

Now, sitting in his car, he pushed that strange feeling aside once more and turned the key. He was not drunk, not remotely, and his hand was utterly steady on the wheel.

He had gotten what he wanted. Melissa would find out who had been behind the accusation of murder. She would confirm or deny his nagging suspicions. She would find out who wanted to take Mokuba away from him. And then Kaiba would deal with it.

To put it politely.


	15. Chapter 15

Root was starting to regret bringing Mulch Diggums to Domino City. The convict wasn't any use in guarding the Magic Mud Men, and if he kept talking, Root was going to strangle him with his own intestines.

"You know, Julius," Mulch drawled, helping himself to a bottle of Irish spring water from the cooler in the back of the shuttle, "If I'd known that this little trip was going to be so boring, I'd have taken jail."

Root exploded. "Like you had a choice, Convict!"

Mulch tried raising the one eyebrow again. If possible, it looked even dumber than it had the first time he tried it. But it accomplished what Mulch had intended: irritate the crap out of Commander Julius Root.

So perhaps Root could not be blamed when he decided to leave Mulch in the shuttle when he went to check up on Yugi and the Pharaoh. To his credit, he handcuffed the dwarf to something stationary, far from the shuttle's controls or anything that could be pocketed. He left Mulch some food and water, warned him on pain of disembowelment not to touch ANYTHING, and left. He locked the shuttle doors.

He was so frustrated and angry that he failed to notice the shadow pressed against the shuttle's hull. He was already focusing on Yugi and planning a trip to check on Kaiba sometime in the near future.

So perhaps Root could not be blamed for the chaos that ensued.

* * *

The shadow silently detached itself from the hull and padded just as silently to the shuttle's doors. A hand came up; the skin glowed gold. The doors slid open.

The shadow smiled.

* * *

Mulch was cursing Root's ancestry (very creatively) when the shuttle doors slid open. He straightened as much as possible, expecting to see Root or Holly.

It was Bakura.

"Well, would you look at this," Bakura drawled. "Your luck doesn't seem to have improved much, Hairy."

"You!" Mulch gasped. "How…?"

Bakura waved the question away with a casual gesture. "Magic."

"Magic. That's great!" Mulch said as cheerily as he could through the pounding of his heart. "Could you magic me out of these things?" He lifted his bound wrists.

Bakura arched one eyebrow elegantly. Mulch felt a surge of envy. "I _could_…"

Mulch waited as the silence lengthened. "I bet you couldn't," he said finally when Bakura still made no move towards him. "Don't be embarrassed. These are pretty high-quality handcuffs." He mimed trying to pull the cuffs apart. "Impossible to break. Harder to pick."

Bakura snorted. "I know what you're doing," he said. He tilted his head, considering Mulch. "Still…"

In a motion almost inhumanely fast and fluid, he was beside Mulch and reaching out for his wrists. His fingers glowed gold and the cuffs dropped open.

"Neat trick," Mulch said, rubbing his wrists.

Bakura just chuckled. "You should watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat.'"

He turned away from Mulch and started poking around the shuttle. Mulch noticed several small things – a buzz baton, a Moonbelt, Commander Root's prized coffee mug – disappearing into the folds of the Thief King's clothes. It would be extremely hypocritical to protest, so Mulch joined him.

"Do you know how to fly this thing?" Bakura asked after a minute, brushing his fingers lightly over the shuttle's controls.

"No," Mulch said, sitting down. "Let's try it."

A smirk crossed Bakura's face. "I like the way you think, Dwarf."

"Mulch."

"Mulch." Bakura leaned over and pressed a button. The engines fired.

"Good guess," Mulch said. "My turn." He pressed a button at random. There was a whirring sound, then music began to play. Bakura raised an eyebrow again.

"What is this?"

Mulch grimaced. "_Dances with Pixies. _Who knew old Julius was a fan?" He grinned at the mental picture of Julius Root singing along to the well-known musical.

Bakura laughed. "So, my hygienically challenged friend, what do you say we have a bit of _fun_?"

* * *

"Seto?" The voice on the other end of the line was sweet and girlish; it grated on Kaiba's nerves. He forced warmth into his voice with difficulty.

"Melissa?"

She giggled. "You _do_ remember me. You haven't called."

_I took you out _last night_. Just what I need: a needy female. _"How could I forget such a lovely woman?"

She giggled again. "If you apologize sweetly, I might give you the information you asked for."

Kaiba felt a surge of excitement. "You have it?"

He could picture her wagging a finger at him. "Uh uh. No cheating. Say you're sorry first."

He squeezed the phone tightly, reining in his temper. "I humbly apologize. I shamefully neglected you, Melissa."

"Good boy." She lowered her voice conspiratorially "I looked into the Board's files. The accusation was made by a man named Stefan Bashkir."

_At last! _"Thank you," he forced himself to say. Melissa might yet prove to be of use to him. "I promise to be more faithful in my calls from now on." _If I need something else from you._

She giggled _yet again._ It was starting to become irritating. "You'd better." She hung up.

Kaiba immediately reached for his laptop. _Stefan Bashkir…I don't recognize the name._ It might take some time to track down this Mr. Bashkir, but Seto was not one to be balked by a little difficulty. Whoever this man was, whatever information he possessed, and whatever grudge he had against Seto Kaiba, he was going down.

And if Kaiba had his way, as painfully as possible.

* * *

The house had one of the most extensive security systems Mulch had ever seen. It had high walls, barbed wire, sensors everywhere, dogs, armed guards, even piles of tin cans in front of the doors for all he knew.

All of this wasn't a problem for Mulch Diggums. He and Bakura were planning on going underground.

Bakura eyed the soft dirt outside the walls dubiously. "It would be easier to simply sneak by the security and slip in through an unlocked door or open window."

"_You _can do things the hard way if you want," Mulch said, licking his palms to make them glow in the darkness of the tunnel he was about to create. "You're not claustrophobic, are you?"

"Of course not!" Bakura snapped. "I'm a Tomb Robber."

"Then come on," Mulch said, unbuttoning his bum flap and unhinging his jaw. He launched himself into the earth.

"I'm com…" Bakura began, before a large lump of recently digested clay hit him in the face. He could hear Mulch's muffled laughter. He cursed in every language he knew (including some that were definitely _not _human) and followed. He hated to admit it…but he didn't have much of a choice. But nobody embarrassed the Thief King and got away with it.

Down in the tunnel, Mulch felt a gurgling in his bowels. Leaving a tunnel open for someone else meant that he had to hold a lot of gas in. Uncomfortable. He hoped that they would break into the cellar of the wealthy actor's house in a minute or two. Any longer than that and it could get hairy…er. He heard Bakura's soft footsteps a safe distance behind.

The clay turned to wood. They had reached the cellar. He chomped a hole in the floor, then scrambled out of the makeshift tunnel. He paused to let Bakura catch up. The boy glared at him. His white hair was matted with mud. But, as Mulch had suspected, the Tomb Robber didn't make a sound.

With a huge gasp of relief, Mulch sealed the tunnel.

Without discussion, they tiptoed up the stairs leading to the rest of the house, keeping to the sides to prevent them from squeaking. Mulch placed his ear flat against the door and listened for a long moment. Finally, he shook his head. No one there. Bakura listened intently before nodding.

They eased out onto the main floor. It was magnificently decorated, with rich hangings and luxurious furniture. Bakura scanned it with mingled glee and distaste before leading the way into the study. This too was elegant, and probably cost more than most Americans made in a year. Again without discussion, the two thieves began to look for a safe.

To the actor's credit, it was not in any of the usual places: behind any of the pictures of stuffy old men on the walls or under the rug (though there _was _a pressure pad that they were forced to avoid). It wasn't under the desk either, or behind the bookcase.

Bakura stopped and stood in the center of the room, ignoring the movements of the dwarf, and closed his eyes. There was a soft _hiss_, like smoke being let out of a jar, and the Millennium Ring began to glow. The spikes lifted.

"Over here."

Mulch straightened just in time to see Bakura put his foot on the edge of the desk and hoist himself upward. His fingers caught a metal grill that had been hidden by a pile of boxes stacked on the bookcase. Bakura didn't pull, just stood there for a minute, examining the grill.

"Trapped?" Mulch asked.

Bakura snorted. "Oh yes." He studied it some more. "Clever. It puts the safe at an angle that makes it impossible to lay your ear alongside it. Harder to hear the tumblers fall."

"Dial?"

Bakura nodded. "There's a wire connecting the grill to the safe. Magnetic. If I try and open it…"

Mulch knew what would happen. He also knew how to disable it. "Let me see."

The Tomb Robber eyed him. "You're not tall enough to reach the grill, even if you stand on the desk."

He was right. Mulch cursed. If he'd known there was going to be climbing involved, he wouldn't have been drinking all that Irish spring water.

Bakura smirked. "How about you just wait down there," he said. Mulch took an instant dislike to his tone. "_I'll_ do the work." He turned back to the grate, examining it closely, ignoring Mulch's murderous glare.

Bakura's face became one of intense concentration. His smirk faded, his eyes narrowed, his fingers danced lightly over the wire. Mulch held his breath.

"Done."

Mulch remembered how to breathe again. Bakura pulled, and the grate fell open. The Thief King grinned.

"Don't celebrate yet," the dwarf reminded him sourly. "There's still the safe."

"Not for long," Bakura said smugly. The look of concentration returned and he twirled the dial.

"You're leaving fingerprints," Mulch pointed out. Bakura was good, but apparently not as good as he thought he was. Probably no one was as good as Bakura thought he was. _Except myself, of course._

"No I'm not," Bakura said, lifting one hand from the grate to show to Mulch. A dark, shadowy substance coated the boy's fingers, clinging to the skin like a tight-fitting glove. Except that this glove was clearly not made of fabric.

"Why can you use your power, but the Pharaoh can't?" Mulch demanded. _He _is _good though._

"Shut up." '_I'm working,' _was the clear subtext, but apparently the so-called Thief King didn't want to waste more breath on the dwarf. Mulch hmmphed, but shut up.

"Got it," Bakura breathed, his voice hushed, awed, a man communing with his god. He reached into the safe, pulled free a sheaf of papers reverently. Then he glanced at the top one and his face distorted into a snarl.

"What kind of person keeps _this _in a trapped safe?" He dropped the paper on the ground and began to rifle through the others. Mulch glanced at it. Judging by the drawing ability, it had been done by a five-year-old girl.

"Pretty pony," Mulch chortled. "Great haul, Bakura."

"Shut up!" This time, the subtext was more along the lines of _'Open your mouth again and I will pull out your teeth with pliers and replace them with your toenails.' _

The Tomb Robber tossed the rest of the papers – more drawings – to the floor and reached into the safe again. This time he grinned with satisfaction, drawing forth handfuls of cash.

"That's more like it."

Mulch was looking at the papers Bakura had dropped. "Nice." Bakura, curious despite himself, glanced at the one the dwarf was holding. He looked appalled.

"What is it?"

Mulch turned the page upside down. "I think it's a dog."

"Is that its _head_?"

"It might be a leg."

They exchanged a look. Then Mulch snorted.

"Humans."

Bakura nodded. "Pathetic."

They were halfway back to the cellars when Mulch said, "Wait a minute. _You're_ human!"

Bakura's smile sent a shiver down Mulch's spine. In all his life, he had never seen anything quite as frightening as Bakura's smile.

"Are you _sure_?"

Mulch stood there, frozen, temporarily unable to breathe. His head told him to move, to run, to do _anything_, but his legs refused to obey. Casually, Bakura turned, opened the door, headed down the steps. A few stairs down, the Tomb Robber stopped and turned. He smiled again, this time with the sweet, innocent smile of the boy whose body he had stolen.

"Coming?"

_I knew it._

* * *

Seto Kaiba leaned back in his chair, staring at his computer screen. He was not surprised. He _had _known it, or at least strongly suspected it, since before he had begun this search. All along, he had known. He had just been waiting to hear his suspicions confirmed.

He leaned forward, laced his fingers beneath his chin. Stared at the computer. Stared at the words on the screen.

_Stefan Bashkir_. An alias for Artemis Fowl.


	16. Chapter 16

"So it is decided." Councilwoman Vinyáya looked around, meeting all the other Council members' eyes. "We shall bring the Mud Men in and attempt the mind-wipe."

Councilman Hagan nodded, but Vox and Brug looked unconvinced. "Many of our scientists think that won't work," Vox said shrilly. "What do we do then?"

"We can cross that bridge when we come to it," Vinyáya said sternly. "Are you so eager to harm innocent children?"

"There is substantial proof that the boy Kaiba murdered his adopted father!" Brug said. "And the Tomb Robber is anything but innocent. Who knows what _he_ has done?"

"Even Bakura has done nothing to directly harm the People," Hagen rumbled. Not a week before, he had been calling for the Mud Men's elimination, but Vinyáya was pleased to see he had reconsidered. "I agree with my colleague. We should at least _try _the mind-wipe. If they refuse…"

"A refusal from these Mud Men might come in the form of our operatives lying on the ground in pieces," Vox spat. "Or worse."

Vinyáya banged her hand on the table. "Enough! You had a chance to do this arguing before we voted. Now you have to abide by the Council's decision."

Vox subsided into sullen silence.

"If there are no more objections, this Council is adjourned," Hagen said stiffly.

The Council members rose, and without a word to each other, they departed. Brug was shaking his head disapprovingly, but he limited himself to that. He was honestly concerned for the People's well-being, so perhaps his advocacy of an extreme solution could be excused. Vox, on the other hand, did not accept defeat so quietly.

"They'll thank me," he told himself. "I will be the savior of the People." Muttering to himself, he headed off down the hallways towards the LEP headquarters. He had a bio- bomb to launch.

* * *

They emerged from the tunnel to find a pair of very pissed-off fairies waiting for them. Mulch froze, every instinct warning him to dive back underground. Impatient at the delay, Bakura wriggled so he could see around the dwarf's bulk. He caught sight of Holly and Root and adopted a look of puzzled innocence.

"Is there a problem, officers?"

Root stood there for a moment, speechless with rage. In that interval, Bakura hauled himself completely out of the tunnel and began to calmly brush the dirt and mud from his clothes. He combed his fingers through his hair and straightened his collar. Behind them, there came the wail of alarms and shouting. Apparently, the actor had returned home.

"Let's discuss this somewhere else," Holly said, grabbing hold of Mulch and neatly handcuffing him again.

Bakura grinned, gave a mocking bow. "As you wish…"

And that was all he had time to say before Holly's buzz baton clipped his rear end. He stared at her in astonishment, and a soft "oh" escaped his lips as his knees buckled. Holly cuffed him too, then clipped Mulch and the unconscious human to her Moonbelt. Root's was mysteriously missing. All this was accomplished in no more than a minute. _I'm getting slow_, Holly thought to herself.

"I thought we had agreed _I'd_ be the one to stun him."

Holly grinned as she fired up her wings. "I can't let you have all the fun."

* * *

"Seto?" Mokuba's quiet voice came from the doorway; an instant later, the boy himself stepped through the door. "Are you working?"

"No," Kaiba said, closing the lid of his laptop. "Come in."

Mokuba padded across the office and stopped in front of his brother. His gray eyes stared up at Seto and he rewarded him with a sweet, cheerful smile. As he reached out to hug his little brother, Seto thought, _Who decided I was lucky enough to deserve you?_

"Wow," Mokuba said, his voice a little muffled. "Two hugs in two days. I feel special."

"You _are _special," Seto told him. He refused to acknowledge how much it hurt that giving hugs had become a rarity.

Mokuba relaxed, nestling his dark head in the crook of Kaiba's shoulder. Seto lifted him tenderly, pulling the boy onto his lap. They sat for a while, simply enjoying each other's company. _I can't remember the last time we did this_, Seto thought. His heart clenched.

Mokuba must have felt his brother tense, because he looked up quizzically. "What's wrong, Seto?"

Seto eased the boy gently off his lap and put his hands on Mokuba's shoulders so he could look his brother in the face. "I have something important to tell you."

Mokuba's brow drew down with worry and confusion. "Seto, you're scaring me."

_Just spit it out. _Seto took a deep breath and began to recount his meeting with the Board. He did not mention Artemis Fowl. He could not bear the thought of Mokuba's inevitable question: 'Why is he doing this?'

_He's doing this because of me,_ he thought._ He's doing this because of my foolish pride. If I lose Mokuba, it will be my own damn fault._ The thought nearly crippled him with agony. _Everything that is done to Mokuba is because of me, _he cool, logical part of his mind told him that this streak of self-pity was useless; he needed to focus on the problem at hand. The other part, however, the emotions usually deeply repressed, the part of Kaiba that was still human, cried out with the sting of the realization. _Every kidnapping, every moment of fear and pain. My enemies always use him to get to me. _

In that moment, perhaps for the first time in his life, Seto Kaiba laid his ego aside. _Mokuba is all that matters._

He squeezed Mokuba's shoulders, meeting his gaze, trying to impart this to his brother. The young boy's face was streaming with tears; his lip was trembling. _He's so young._

"Mokie," Seto said gently. Who would have thought Seto Kaiba was capable of tenderness? "I've spent so much time worrying about me, _my_ thoughts, _my _feelings, that I haven't consulted you. I'm sorry I kept this from you for so long." He forced himself to speak the words that were cutting him like knives. _Mokuba is all that matters. _"If you…if you want…I mean, I would understand if you want to go and live somewhere else. I could talk to Yugi…"

"Are you sending me away?" Mokuba's voice was strangely flat and toneless. He did not look into Seto's eyes.

"No!" Seto hastened to assure him. "I just…I want you to be happy." He swallowed hard before continuing. "I'm afraid I don't always make time for you. I'm broken, Mokuba, and maybe I can't be fixed." The cool, Gozaboro-trained side of his brain informed him that he was being hopelessly sentimental. He fiercely told his brain to shut up. "So I want whatever you want. With the Board…it's up to you."

"I want to fight." Mokuba raised his head. His gray eyes flashed, his voice was firm. He hugged his big brother tightly around the waist. "I don't want to leave you, Seto, not ever."

To his horror, Seto felt his eyes actually brimming with tears. He brushed them away with his sleeve. The knot in his chest loosened. A deep-seated contentment took its place. Then he took a deep breath and was himself again.

"Then we'll fight," he said. He reached a hand towards the phone, then paused. There was one more thing that needed to be said.

"Mokuba," he said hesitantly. "I killed Gozaboro."

Mokuba was silent for a moment, his head pillowed against Seto's stomach. His grip tightened. "I thought so."

"I never told you because I…I didn't want you to see me as a monster," Seto said. "I killed him. And I've done other things…"

Mokuba put a finger against his big brother's lips. "Don't tell me," he said, his young voice surprisingly serious. "It doesn't matter. _Gozaboro _was the monster, not you. The offer stuff…it doesn't matter." He stared into Seto's eyes. "I meant what I said. I want to stay with you."

"I love you so much."

"Hey," Mokuba broke the embrace and lightly pushed his shoulder. His voice was forcibly light and airy. "Don't you have someone you should be calling? Someone we can intimidate?"

Seto chuckled and reached for the phone again. He had just picked it up when Mokuba started to laugh. Startled, he turned to look back his little brother.

"What?"

"Nothing," Mokuba gasped. "It's just…" He straightened up and attempted to make his voice deeper and more serious.

"We have engaged the Board."

* * *

Ryou's head hurt. He tried to open his eyes, but the ceiling swirled alarmingly and he shut them again. The rest of his body wasn't responding to his commands.

A concerned voice floated just over his head. "Bakura, are you okay?"

Ryou tried to open his mouth to answer; the voice sounded vaguely familiar. The voice spoke again, to someone else, a woman, and the two voices carried on a conversation for several minutes. Then the first voice came back.

"Bakura, it's Yugi. Can you hear me?"

Ryou managed a tiny nod. Yugi's voice sounded relieved. "Can you move? Holly said the effect of buzz baton should wear off soon."

_Holly? Buzz baton?_

Ryou tested his limbs and felt them stir. He decided to try opening his eyes again. Yugi was hovering over him, his violet eyes filled with worry. When he saw that Ryou was definitely conscious, he smiled hugely. "I was so worried. You were out a long time."

Ryou rubbed his head. The motion was sluggish, and he had to concentrate an inordinate amount on making the muscles move. "What…what happened?"

Yugi's expressive face shifted to one of embarrassment. "Well, you…that is to say Yami Bakura…"

"Holly shocked you on the butt." A small hairy figure sidled into view on Ryou's other side. Ryou had to search his memory hard to come up with a name. He had never actually met the dwarf when he was in control of the body.

"Mulch…" he said.

The dwarf exchanged a concerned look with Yugi. "That's my name. Mulch Diggums." His look to Yugi added, '_What the hell's wrong with him?'_

Tenderly, Yugi touched Ryou's shoulder to regain his attention. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Ryou searched his memory again. "I…I remember coming back from England. There's a blank spot, but…I remember going to school the next day." He smiled. "We talked in history class."

Holly, sitting in the shuttle's copilot seat, stared at the white-haired boy. That was almost a week ago, before Root had even come to Domino City. No one lost their memories just from being stunned by a buzz baton. She opened her mouth to speak.

Yugi stopped her with a gesture. "Anything more recent?" he asked gently.

Ryou was silent for a moment, thinking. "I remember looking out through Bakura's eyes a couple of times. We…we were in your room once, Yugi. I don't know why; he shut me out when he felt me looking."

The Pharaoh stirred. _**That's not good.**_

Yugi felt a pang of pity. Ryou Bakura experienced none of the joys Yugi had found in having a Millennium Item. Whole months of his life had been wiped out the Tomb Robber's harsh possession of his body. Yugi and the Pharaoh shared _their_ body, each observing the other's actions, talking, drawing strength and comfort from one another. Ryou was forced to wait in darkness and isolation, terrified of what hell world he might wake up to.

Ryou stared at Yugi as though he knew what the other boy was thinking and gave him a sad, knowing smile. "I remember…I remember playing that trick on Bakura and the Pharaoh." His smile became more genuine. "I remember Bakura's reaction when he realized he'd been snuggling."

Yugi smiled too. Pharaoh had been outraged at first, but in the end had started laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. He could sense the Pharaoh smiling at the memory.

Ryou's smile turned into a small grimace of remembered pain. "He was so angry…" At Yugi's horrified expression, he forced a chuckle. "Don't worry. It was worth it."

"Well, if you're done with the reminiscing," Mulch interrupted, "maybe you could explain what's going on."

Yugi explained. "This is the _real _Bakura. He doesn't remember anything when the other Bakura is in control of the body. It used to be that way with me too, before Yami and I learned to share."

"Yami?" Root asked from the pilot's seat. He'd been remarkably quiet up 'til now.

Yugi flushed. "Pharaoh."

Ryou's doe-brown eyes suddenly opened wide. He grabbed the other boy's sleeve urgently. "Yugi, what did Bakura do?"

Yugi laid a calming hand on his shoulder. "Nothing important. It's alright."

"He and Mulch robbed a house," Holly said. "But no one got hurt," she added quickly at Ryou's dismayed look.

"Speaking of which," Root said, leaving the pilot seat and walking over to the Mud Boy's side. "Do you happen to know what's become of…well, I had a coffee mug earlier, and it's not here anymore."

His head had cleared sufficiently by now that Ryou was able to sit up. He was lying on a low table that had been covered with a thin blanket. He checked his pants pockets, then put his hand inside the leather coat that Bakura had lately taken to wearing. There he found what he assumed was a buzz baton, a belt made of some unfamiliar fabric, and the aforementioned coffee mug. He also found an assortment of other small things that Bakura had secreted away that probably didn't belong to him. Shamefaced, he handed the entire pile to Root.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Root eyed him, then shrugged. "It wasn't you."

Ryou took the period of awkward silence that followed to glance around. He had seen enough of Bakura's memories that he recognized the interior of the LEP shuttle. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to meet with Artemis Fowl," Yugi explained. "Commander Root's received some kind of message, and he wants to talk about it with Artemis. We're just going to pick up Kaiba first."

Ryou nodded. Now that the effects of the buzz baton had worn off, he was savoring his first taste of freedom in a week. Yugi could have been telling him that they were going to a German concentration camp or to a convention of rabid fangirls and he would have still gleefully enjoyed the feeling of breathing, speaking, and moving when _he _wanted to, instead of dancing at the whim of someone else like a marionette. Then he realized what Yugi was saying. _Me, Yugi, Kaiba, two fairy commandos, Artemis Fowl and his man mountain in the same room, discussing some ominous fairy message that probably means we're all about to die. _

He sighed. _This will be fun._

* * *

The shuttle pulled up outside the KaibaCorp manor. They didn't unshield, but Yugi called Kaiba on his cell phone to tell him they were there and to come outside. They waited a long time. When the teenage CEO finally appeared, a boy of perhaps twelve was following along at his heels. He had messy black hair and bright gray eyes. Kaiba paused, closed his eyes for a moment, then headed unerringly to the shuttle. The doors slid open and Kaiba stuck his head in.

"We're taking one of my cars," he said in a tone that brooked no argument. "I'm not riding in that thing." He pulled back, crossed his arms, and waited.

Yugi glanced at the two fairies and before shrugging and clambering out of the shuttle. Ryou followed.

Holly and Root sat for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then without a word they made sure the shuttle would stay shielded, parked it out of the way, then pulled Mulch with them after the others. Kaiba smirked and slid gracefully behind the wheel of a sleek black car that was already waiting nearby. The black-haired boy grinned and slid into the seat next to him. Helplessly, the others crowded in.

As Kaiba turned the ignition, the black-haired boy twisted around in his seat to look at Holly, Root, and Mulch. "I'm Mokuba Kaiba," he said with a big smile. "Seto's my big brother."

_So this is Mokuba_, Holly thought. He seemed such a contrast to his brother: a ready smile, big doe eyes, a bright, friendly attitude. But there was the same strength in the boy's eyes, the same determination, the same fire.

"Good to meet you," she said, returning the smile.

"Where to?" Kaiba interrupted. He was tapping his long fingers on the steering wheel, his expression a mixture of impatience and boredom.

Root clambered into the seat next to Mokuba and pointed. "Drive, Mud Boy. I'll tell you when to turn."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed, but he pressed the acceleration and the big car began to move. "Why the group meeting?"

"We need to meet with Artemis Fowl," Root said, watching Kaiba's expression closely. "There are things we couldn't discuss over the phone."

Kaiba's jaw clenched and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. He fought for control. _Wait._ "Why not?"

Holly snorted. "Apart from the danger of the phone companies learning of our existence, the People have equipment that picks up on certain fairy-related keywords. It's just best to err on the side of caution."

Kaiba nodded tightly. "Makes sense."

Root pointed. "Turn here."

* * *

When the doorbell rang, Artemis himself went to get it. Behind him, Butler heaved himself out of the chair and quietly checked the pistol in the holster under his arm. Artemis didn't comment. He knew who was coming to visit, but he also knew that the bodyguard believed in caution. It had kept them alive.

Holly was the first to enter the room. Her smile made Artemis' heart flutter wildly, and it took all his self-control to say quietly, "Captain Short." Any tender moment they might conceivably have had was spoiled in the next instant when Commander Root followed her in. He was dragging Mulch Diggums, who was handcuffed and looking sullen.

Artemis did not recognize the white-haired boy who trailed along behind. He walked slowly, tentatively, like one who is either injured or very shy, and his wild white hair tumbled to halfway down his back. But when he entered, he spoke in a friendly enough tone, his voice tinged with a British accent.

"Hello. I'm Ryou Bakura."

Artemis nodded a greeting and cast a significant look at Butler. From what they had heard, this shy, quiet boy possessed remarkable power. If so, none of it was evident in his looks.

Pharaoh followed. Artemis was struck again by how utterly confident his stride was, the aura of power that surrounded him. He nodded a greeting to Artemis and another to Butler, his presence dominating the entire room. Caught up as he was with Pharaoh's appearance, Artemis momentarily failed to recognize the last people to enter the room.

When he did, and their eyes met, the entire room fell silent. Artemis stood frozen near the door, looking into the harsh blue gaze of Seto Kaiba.

* * *

Artemis' snappy comeback died in his throat at the naked fury in those eyes.

"How. Dare. You." Kaiba growled. Even Pharaoh drew back a pace at the brunette's tone. Beneath their feet, the floor began to shake. Ryou Bakura shrank back against the wall. He had seen magic wielded with the delicacy of a scalpel, seen his other half tease threads of Shadow Magic through a lock or through a narrow crack in the wall. But he knew magic also had another half. A flip side.

Raw, undiluted, uncontrolled _power._

Kaiba took a step towards Artemis. Artemis felt fear rise up to choke him. He had dealt with criminals, with fairy police officers, with goblins, with trolls, with insane, mass-murdering pixies, but he had never been truly afraid before. He was afraid now.

"B...Butler," he gasped, stumbling backwards.

"Don't move," Butler barked. He had his pistol out now, pointed straight at Kaiba's head. Mokuba let out a little cry and tried to run forward, but Ryou grabbed him. Whatever was going to happen now, this boy couldn't be a part of it. The fairies had their Neutrinos out, aimed at Kaiba as well. They were wary, but resolute. They would not hesitate to fire.

_**Threat.**_ The word did not so much pass through Kaiba's mind as it did through his body. He could feel it like a stinging in his skin, a drumming of his heart. And the magic, which had lain dormant for so long, unacknowledged, untouched, untapped, uncontrolled, surged forth to protect its wielder. Kaiba was swallowed up, and for a moment, there was only the magic.

In that instant, Artemis saw Kaiba's eyes turn gold.

"Step away from…" Butler began, but that was all he managed before the magic tore into him. He was hurled from his feet and slammed with bone-breaking force into the wall. He hung there, gasping with pain, helpless to move. Then, carelessly, the magic released him, and he collapsed in a heap.

Mulch yelled and Root and Holly fired. The magic caught the bolts as they streaked towards Kaiba and winked them out of existence. Writhing rings of golden fire caught the fairies and engulfed them. Root's uniform was burning; cursing and yelling, he dropped to the ground and rolled, trying to extinguish the magical flames. The magic scooped up Holly like a doll and tightened around her chest. She was immobile, and in the confusion, she had dropped her gun.

Golden eyes turned back to Artemis.

Artemis could not make his legs move. He knew, with terrible certainty, that he was about to die.

"Fight it, Kaiba!" Pharaoh cried, latching on to Kaiba's wrist. He shouted the words in Kaiba's face, but the other boy did not seem to hear. His eyes were still that eerie, empty gold.

"Seto!" Mokuba tore himself from Ryou's arms and flung himself at his brother, throwing his arms around his waist and clinging to him. "Seto!"

Deep inside Kaiba's mind, where his consciousness had been shoved as the magic ripped its way free, Mokuba's cry awoke something. The soul of Seto Kaiba fought back. He grappled with the magic, restrained it, thrust it back in its cage. He fought hard for control, heard that familiar voice calling his name.

"Seto!"

_Mokuba!_

The gold fled from Kaiba's eyes, to be replaced with a deep, ordinary blue. The fire that licked up Root's clothing flickered out like it had never existed. Blue sparks danced over his skin, repairing the damage the magic had done. Holly dropped to the floor where she lay panting. For a moment, Kaiba stared into Artemis' terrified eyes. Then with a groan, his knees buckled. The pharaoh managed to catch him and lay him down carefully. He was unconscious.

Holly dragged herself to her feet and staggered over to Butler. The man was breathing, to her relief. She laid her hands on his back, where most of the damage was, and whispered, "Heal." Blue sparks sped down her fingers. Butler groaned, stirred, and opened his eyes.

"Artemis?"

She laid a hand on his forehead. "He's alright."

For a moment, Butler smiled, an honest smile of relief. Then as quickly as it had come, the smile faded. "Kaiba?"

Holly glanced toward the boy still lying on the floor. His face was pale and drawn; he looked almost dead, save for the steady rise and fall of his chest when he breathed. Mokuba and Pharaoh were crouched beside him.

She looked back at Butler. "He'll live. Can you sit up?" With her help, he managed to sit up and prop himself against the wall. She noticed that he did not slip his pistol back into its holster.

"Did…did you see what he just did?"Mulch asked, pointing a shaky finger in Kaiba's direction.

"Of course we did, Convict," Root roared, glad to have someone to yell at. "We're not blind." He too looked at Kaiba. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's just exhausted," Ryou said. He swallowed nervously when all eyes turned his way. "It happens when you use too much magic at a time."

"Perfect!" Root barked. "His crazy stunt just nearly killed all of us, and he's sleeping it off on the floor!"

"You said you wanted to talk," Pharaoh interrupted quietly. "Then let's talk."

"Just a minute," Mokuba said. He pushed himself up from his brother's side and walked up to where Artemis was still standing, frozen with shock. He put his hands on his hips and waited until Artemis focused on him.

"_You're_ the one who contacted the Board of Child Services," he said softly. It wasn't a question. His voice was cool, almost disinterested. No one in the room spoke, but all eyes were fixed on the pair. Mokuba was several inches shorter than Artemis, but it didn't seem that way as he stared into the older boy's eyes. "You're the one trying to take me away from my brother." His voice was still calm, his stance relaxed; one might have thought he was talking about the weather.

Then, without warning, he hauled back and punched Artemis Fowl right in the jaw. Artemis stumbled back and ended up on his butt on the floor, staring up at the younger boy with an expression of utter surprise.

Mokuba shook out his hand, wincing a little at the sting in his knuckles. Then he turned to look at the rest of the group, who were staring at him with much the same expression. He gave them his brightest, most cheerful smile.

"Okay. Let's talk."


	17. Chapter 17

Foaly stared at the screen, then pounded the keyboard in frustration. Almost instantly, he squealed and patted it, apologizing breathlessly for hurting it. Then the momentary computer insanity passed, and he went back to work.

"Why is the file gone?" he muttered angrily, his fingers flying over the keys. He had tried again and again to retrieve a copy of the People's treaty with the Nameless Pharaoh, but each time, he came up with a blank screen.

He gritted his teeth. If the file had been deleted because of the method of storage, he might never be able to track that or retrieve the file. But…if the file had been erased, maybe Foaly could figure out who had done it.

He activated the voice command system; he was getting keyboard cramp, and even with the adrenaline rush, he was feeling slightly dizzy with exhaustion.

"Computer," the centaur said. "Has anyone accessed this file within the last five years?"

"To which file are you referring?" The computer's voice was crisp and metallic. Foaly winced; he'd have to change that. Maybe the more dulcet tones of a certain male centaur…

He groaned. "You're going to make me check?"

"File number identification is essential for…"

"Rhetorical question," Foaly said, cutting it off. He glanced at the label and took a big breath. "The file number is 1DK398DHFD9WPVM." He glared at the screen. "Happy now?"

"I do not experience happiness or any other emotion," the computer replied.

"Rhetorical question," Foaly muttered.

The computer whirred busily for several minutes. Finally, it said, "There have been 17 attempts to access file 1DK398DHFD9WPVM within that time frame."

Foaly sat up. "Really? Who?" He glanced at the list of names. "But…but they're all me!"

"All of these attempts have occurred within the last two hours," the computer's voice continued serenely.

Foaly cursed. "Find out the last time that anyone _other than me _tried to open that file."

"To which file are you referring?"

"To the same file!" Foaly yelled. "I designed you to be _intelligent_."

"Well, you aren't being very specific," the computer said, almost snippily.

Foaly ground his teeth together so hard he was mildly surprised they didn't shatter. "Do what I tell you, before I smash you into little tiny pieces and throw you in the recycler."

"You wouldn't do that," the computer replied, but there was a hint of what sounded like nervousness in its tone. Foaly smirked. _Not so cocky now._

He grinned devilishly. "Try me."

"Processing."

Foaly yawned. He could now barely keep his eyes open. "Give me the results in the morning," he said, clambering awkwardly to his feet. "I'm going to bed."

"Sleep tight," the computer said. It sounded exactly like Foaly now. If it had a mouth, it would have been evilly grinning.

Foaly hightailed it out of there. Some computers, he decided, were just plain scary.

* * *

"You hit me," Artemis said in astonishment, climbing to his feet shakily. He was embarrassed that this seemed to be the best thing his brain could come up with; he was usually much more eloquent.

Mokuba chuckled. "You're just lucky that Seto isn't awake. A sore jaw would be the least of your problems."

"Speaking of," Root said, cautiously approaching Kaiba's unconscious body. "When he wakes up, how are we going to stop him from doing the same thing again?"

"You threatened him," Ryou spoke up. "His magic just reacted automatically. He probably didn't even mean to do it."

"Great," Mulch complained. "Just great. We've got an out-of-control Mud Man who has magic. Anyone else thinking we should just let him get bio-bombed?"

He was ignored. "Something made him extremely angry," Holly said. She fixed a steely gaze on Artemis. "What did you do?"

He gave her his best innocent look. It was about as convincing as Mulch's (a.k.a. not very). "I suppose he is still angry about me breaking into his files…"

"Cut the crap," Holly snapped. Artemis, stunned, closed his mouth. Suddenly the tiny fairy was looking a heck of a lot scarier. Everyone in the room had to concentrate on not flinching. "Tell me what you did."

"He tried to get Seto accused of murder," Mokuba said quietly. All eyes turned to the young man, "so that the Board of Child Services would remove me from my brother's care."

Holly's eyes narrowed; rarely had she looked so angry. "Did you, Artemis?"

"He burned down my house," Artemis said coolly, but the argument sounded extremely childish in his ears now, tantamount to 'he started it!' in kindergarten.

"So you decided to ruin our lives?" Mokuba demanded, fists clenched. He took a step towards Artemis, but this time, Butler was in the way. Mokuba stopped a few feet from the gigantic bodyguard. "Seto is all I have. We've been together since our parents died. What gave you the _right_ to try and take that away?"

Artemis said nothing, but his heart was clenching painfully. Seeing the real pain in Mokuba's eyes, though the boy tried to hide it, he felt like the biggest jerk in the history of the world.

_Kaiba should have left me alone, _he told himself firmly. _He took something from me. Now I have to teach him a lesson: no one messes with Artemis Fowl._ His conscience was not mollified. It retaliated with another sharp poke.

"What, the great Artemis Fowl has nothing to say?" Holly said scornfully. She turned away. That hurt worse than the conscience prickle had.

Root cleared his throat. "What are we going to do about Kaiba?"

Holly pulled a pair of handcuffs from her belt. Artemis raised an eyebrow. _Haven't seen those before. _The thought was accompanied by a whole slew of mental images that he immediately pounced on and purged.

"You can't handcuff my brother!" Mokuba said indignantly.

"Mokuba," the Pharaoh said. His voice was still quiet, but the boy stopped protesting immediately. "The magic might have been an accident, but the intent was not. I do not like it any more than you do, but it might be wise to restrain Kaiba until we are sure that he will at least tolerate Artemis' presence. After all, we _are_ allies." That last was said while looking at Artemis. Artemis felt like a naughty child being reminded to wash behind his ears. What was it about this man that made him feel so…foolish? He had felt wrong-footed ever since they had first been introduced. It was not a feeling he was used to, or particularly liked.

"Restraining him may be the thing that triggers his magic," Ryou said. He had been silent throughout the whole debate, but now he pushed away from the wall and spoke. "His magic doesn't like it when he's threatened."

"I don't think so," the Pharaoh said thoughtfully. "Kaiba deeply values self-control. He will be on guard against losing it a second time. You may not think it," he added with a small smile, "but Kaiba has the strongest willpower of any man I have ever met." He paused. "But I still stand by my earlier opinion. It's much better to be safe than to be sorry, especially when dealing with Shadow Magic."

"Um…not to rain on your parade or anything," Mulch commented from the corner, "but would those even stop him?" He pointed at the handcuffs. "I mean…after what he's proven he can do?"

There was another silence. Everyone was staring at the handcuffs in Holly's hands, which suddenly looked incredibly flimsy.

"Probably not," Root said breezily after a moment, taking the handcuffs from Holly. "But it would make me feel better."

And so it was that when Kaiba finally _did_ wake, he did so in handcuffs.

It was like dragging himself out of a barrel of molasses. Seto wrestled with consciousness, flickering in and out. He heard a few brief snatches of conversation, and what sounded like arguing, but the sound was muffled, like it was coming from a million miles away. Then he heard Mokuba's voice. He sounded upset.

That was enough to give Seto strength. He fought to wake, bringing to bear every ounce of stubbornness and willpower he possessed. And as Yami had just commented outside of Seto's hearing, Kaiba did not lack for either.

With tremendous effort, he forced his eyes to open.

"He's waking up!"

Mokuba and the Pharaoh were instantly at Kaiba's side. Artemis shifted slightly closer to Butler, though he wasn't consciously aware of the movement. Everyone else in the room tensed. Mulch actually tried to hide, which, given his bulk and body odor, was about as successful as attempting to fly to the moon in a soda can. The brunette stirred, mumbled something, and opened his eyes.

His looked at Mokuba first. "Are…are you alright?" he asked. His voice was extremely hoarse.

Mokuba nodded and Kaiba swept his gaze over the rest of the room. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Root asked incredulously.

"Remember what?" Kaiba said irritably, and attempted to push himself to a sitting position. It was then that he discovered that his hands were cuffed behind his back. "What the hell?"

"You lost control of the magic," the Pharaoh informed him, quite calmly given the circumstances. "We thought it best to…restrain you until we were sure that you and Artemis could get along."

Kaiba snorted. "Lost control of the magic? Magic is _your _little fetish, not mine. Now get these things off me."

Root shook his head. "Not a chance."

Kaiba glared at him and managed to push himself up into a sitting position using the wall.

"What do you remember?" the Pharaoh asked. When he had asked Ryou the same question, he had shifted back to Yugi, but he sensed that in this case that would be a mistake. Kaiba respected very few people in this world, but the Pharaoh was one of them.

Kaiba made a motion like he wanted to steeple his hands beneath his chin, but the cuffs stopped him and he had to settle for shaking his head instead. "I remember driving here," he said, glancing around the hotel room. "I remember entering." His eyes ticked to Butler. "You pointed a gun at me." His tone was not particularly accusing; rather it was the same tone he might use to say that someone had shaken his hand. "After that…I don't….I don't remember anything." He stared up at the Pharaoh, and Yami could see a trace of fear in his eyes. "What happened to me?"

"You used magic," Yami said gently. "It reacted automatically to the threat."

To everyone's surprise, Kaiba did not immediately dismiss this. Instead, he looked like he was mulling it over. "Does this end the threat of the bio-bomb?" he asked. "If I am capable of unleashing such power, couldn't I just destroy it?"

Everyone but Mokuba was staring at him, stunned by how quickly he had overcome his emotional response and was now considering the practical applications of what had happened. Mokuba just smiled. He knew his brother too well.

"Maybe…" Root said, trailing off uncertainly, but Artemis interrupted.

"No, probably not," he said briskly, seeking to regain some control of the situation. "As you say, you can't control your power."

Kaiba glanced in his direction. "I guess you're right. After all, _you're _still alive."

"You said you had something to tell us?" Ryou said, turning to Root before the awkward silence could turn into something nastier.

Root cleared his throat. "Yes. I have received a message from the Council. They've decided to try mind-wiping you."

"That's a good thing?" Ryou asked hesitantly.

"It is when you consider that the other option is to kill you," Holly pointed out.

Ryou nodded. "I guess so."

"What does a mind-wipe entail?" Kaiba asked. "And yes," he added when Artemis smirked and opened his mouth, "I suspect it involves wiping part of the mind. How much, and what are the risks?" His tone was businesslike.

"There are two kinds of mind-wipe," Holly explained. "One is the blanket wipe, which takes out all your memories during a certain period of time. The other is more fine-tuned. It would remove only certain memories. For example, all your memories of the People."

"How could you keep this secret?" Kaiba asked incredulously. "Entire sections of the mind wiped blank? That's fairly noticeable."

"Your brain provides new memories to fill the gaps," Root said briskly. "At any rate, the Council would try the fine-tuned wipe. More precise, and less chance of brain damage."

"If they have access to this technology," the Pharaoh said, rising to his feet, "why were the People even considering the use of force?"

Root fidgeted awkwardly. "There are some who think the procedure won't work."

"But why…"

"Think about it, Yugi," Ryou said. "Why do you think Marik never tried to control you when he had the Millennium Rod? The Puzzle protects you."

"Then that poses a new problem," Kaiba said. "What will happen when the mind-wipe fails? We put ourselves at the mercy of the People for this procedure, and when it fails, we get a bullet in the back of the head?"

Holly and Root said nothing. They were both uncomfortably aware that this was _exactly _might happen. Or it might not. They just didn't know.

"Soon I'll have no more memories left," Pharaoh said, attempting a joke to lighten the mood.

"It occurs to me," Artemis Fowl said, and everyone fell silent, "that what you did to your own memories is very similarto a mind-wipe. And that has loopholes."

"Loopholes?" the Pharaoh repeated. His violet eyes gleamed.

Artemis nodded. "Sometimes, memories erased by a mind-wipe can be triggered by something strongly associated with what you've forgotten. In your case, something from your past."

The Pharaoh laughed. "Kaiba is the _reincarnation_ of my High Priest, and the Tomb Robber is leaning against the wall." He nodded at Ryou. "I have fought enemies armed with the Millennium Items from my past and I am _wearing _the vessel that I supposedly sealed my soul with." His fingers brushed the Puzzle. He chuckled again. "I fail to see what stronger associations I can have."

"Your name," Artemis said.

The Pharaoh sighed. "I have been seeking my true name for years, ever since I awoke in this body. It has been erased."

Artemis considered this. "Then perhaps something else? Perhaps if your own magic was restored?"

The Pharaoh spread his hands. "I am open for suggestions."

There was yet another silence. This one was broken when Mulch commented, "Too bad you just can't do some ritual or something and POOF!" He illustrated this with his cuffed hands.

Root and Holly looked at each other. It was clear they had both had the same thought. "The Ritual," they breathed.

"The what?" Mokuba said.

Holly looked excited. "The Ritual is what fairies do to recharge their magic. I've heard of fairies who thought they'd lost their powers and had them restored by the Ritual. Perhaps it won't have the same effect on humans…"

"But if it does, you'd get your magic back," Root said.

Kaiba snorted. "Having magic is not the problem," he said. "Remembering how to use it _is_."

"Conscious use of our magic is lost," the Pharaoh corrected. He sounded excited too. "Perhaps the Ritual will have no effect, but it can't hurt, can it?"

"Then let's do it now!" Mokuba said.

"We have to go to Ireland," Artemis said. "There are no oaks of sufficient age to perform the Ritual here."

Mokuba cast him a sidelong glance. "Sometime I'll have to ask you how you know that."

"Fine," Root said. "Uncuff the kid and let's go."

"Don't bother," Kaiba said, standing up and twirling the handcuffs around one finger. "I got them off half-an-hour ago."

Artemis eyed him. "You certainly have some _interesting_ talents, Mr. Kaiba."

Butler cleared his throat. He had been watching the entire proceedings in silence up 'til now, so his deep voice came as something of a surprise. "We are wasting time. We should go."

"Fine," Artemis and Kaiba said at the exact same time, "We'll take my jet."


	18. Chapter 18

Marik Ishtar was headed home, a bag of groceries clasped in his arms, when he realized he was being followed. Instantly, his instincts were on high alert. He had done enough sneaking his own lifetime to realize that whoever was following him wasn't really trying to hide. They were too easily detected.

Which could only mean they _wanted _to be detected.

That didn't bode well for Marik. If his pursuer didn't care whether he knew they were there or not, then they weren't afraid of him. For the first time since he had given it up, Marik longed for the cool, reassuring grip of the Millennium Rod. But he had given it to Yugi.

He decided to pretend he didn't notice. He took a deep breath and readjusted the grocery bag, surreptitiously giving him easier access to the knife tucked into his belt. He had another in his boot, less detectable, but he would only use that as a last resort.

Pretending to idle in front of one of the shops, Marik scanned the window's reflection of the street behind him, hoping to catch a glimpse of his pursuer. But there was nothing that stood out, just people going about their business in downtown Cairo, the normal noises, the normal sights, the normal sounds, the normal heat waves hovering over the street and clinging to the walls.

And then…

A man with dark hair and a beard caught Marik's eye. Dark hair was not uncommon, nor were beards, but something about the man lifted the hair on the back of the young man's neck. The man's eyes were covered by dark sunglasses.

Again, not unusual in Egypt, but…

Marik turned away from the window and set off at a brisk walk towards home, glancing in the windows alongside either side of the street to check on the mystery man's progress. Was it his imagination, or did he seem to be drawing closer?

Marik quickened his pace. He began ducking and weaving through the crowd, using his slender build to his advantage. The mystery man was bigger, and would have a harder time moving through the throng of people. He risked a quick glance over his shoulder and saw the man still walking along the street behind him. But he had been stalled by a carpet-seller, and for a moment at least, he was not looking in Marik's direction.

A moment was all Marik needed to make his escape. Still tightly clutching the bag of groceries, he ducked into a nearby alley. There were several dumpsters in there, huge metal things that looked extremely strange in an Egyptian alley, but Marik wasn't complaining. If he hadn't been carrying the groceries, he would have dived into one the dumpsters – rarely was there to be found a more perfect hiding place – but Ishizu would be angry, to put it mildly, if the groceries were mixed in with rotting meat and human waste, so he settled for crouching behind one of the cans. He set the bag down carefully, got a good grip on his knife, and waited.

A minute passed, then two. Marik did not move. Years of crouching motionless in ancient Egyptian tombs, trying to decipher half-crumbled texts, had taught him patience. Okay, being put in a potentially life-threatening situation had taught him patience – nothing short of that would have any effect – but still…

Finally, he saw the man with the sunglasses appear in the mouth of the alley. Marik crouched utterly still. To his relief (and vague surprise), the mystery man didn't pause, but just walked right on by. The teen did not move for several moments, until he was sure the man had gone, then he straightened up with a relieved sigh, rubbing his back where it had cramped. He took a few steps, feeling the tension drain out of his muscles.

"Now, if you're done being paranoid, do you think you might have time to talk?"

Marik emitted a highly feminine shriek of surprise and sprang backward, tripping over the bag of groceries and ending up sprawled on his back in the narrow alley. A tomato squished underneath him. _Ishizu's going to be mad. _But there was no time to worry about ruined groceries. He scrambled to his feet, his hand flying to his knife, pulling it free.

The mystery voice came again. "Relax, kid, I'm not going to hurt you."

Wildly, Marik scanned the alley, his brain finally confirming what his eyes had already told him. There was no one there.

"Who are you?" he gasped, fingers still clenched tightly on the knife.

"A friend," the voice said. "Calm down."

Taking a deep breath, Marik forced himself to scan the alleyway more thoroughly. There was nothing, just the shimmer of a heat wave about five feet away, against the wall of an adjacent building. Wait a minute…a heat wave in the shade? It was hot outside, but not _that _hot.

"If you're a friend," Marik said, addressing his words to that shimmer of heat, "Then show yourself."

"Alright," the voice said, "but don't freak out."

A shape began to form in the center of the heat wave. Marik felt a brief thrill of triumph. And then his brain became preoccupied with wondering, _What the hell is it?_

The figure was small, a little under three feet high. His features were not those of a child, but rather a fully-grown man. _Some kind of magical midget? _Marik wondered. The midget was dressed in a close-fitting black uniform. He carried a helmet under one arm, and his shoulders were crisscrossed with straps and gear. More items were strapped to his belt, including, Marik was frightened to see, a fairly large gun.

"Who are you?" he asked again, mortified to realize that his voice trembled.

The figure spoke. "My name is Captain Trouble Kelp," he said, lifting one hand soothingly. "I'm a fairy."

Despite the danger he was in, at those words, Marik burst out laughing. Trouble stared at him in confusion for a moment or two, then looked appalled. "No, not _that _kind of fairy! I mean…literally."

The laughter died. Marik stared at the man…the fairy…his mind working furiously. No, it should not be possible. Fairies were a myth; they didn't exist. But didn't Marik know, more than most, that the world was not as it appeared? That magic _did _exist? If there could be seven pieces of gold that had the power to control minds and rearrange souls, was there any particular reason that fairies could not exist as well?

Trouble was relieved to see comprehension and acceptance flit across the Mud Boy's face fairly quickly. Quicker than most, probably because he was already immersed in magic. It would take a lot to drastically upset his worldview.

"_You _were the one following me," Marik realized.

Trouble nodded. "I needed to talk to you."

"Why now?" Marik asked. "Why me?"

"You're in trouble," Trouble said. "I came to warn you."

Marik chuckled. "A fairy named Trouble comes to tell me that I'm in trouble." Then his eyes widened. "What kind of trouble?"

Trouble hesitated. He had been wrestling with his conscience for quite some time now, trying to decide if it was alright to spill fairy secrets in the hopes of protecting a human. But with the threat of a bio-bomb, there wasn't much choice. Trouble liked to believe that he was idealistic, but he couldn't quite bring himself to believe that the Council was entirely sincere in its promise to leave the Mud Men alone if the mind-wipe failed. And so for the first time in his life, he was disobeying orders.

"My people consider you a threat," he said bluntly. Better to get this over as quickly as possible. "You're one of the first Mud…humans…to have magic in thousands of years. Some among us are afraid that you will use that power to destroy us."

"But I'd never heard of you until today!" Marik protested. "And I've given magic up; I can't possibly be a threat to anybody!"

"Magic _can't_ be given up," Trouble said. "Especially not the kind you have."

"Shadowmancy," Marik breathed. "But without the Rod…" He briefly squeezed his eyes shut, remembering the disastrous events of Battle City, how close he'd come to being lost entirely to the darkness inside himself. _Wow, and if _that _isn't one of the most melodramatic things I've ever thought. _

Now Trouble looked confused. "The Millennium Rod?"

Marik nodded. "It's how I used my power," he explained. "Just as my sister…" He stopped; Ishizu was none of this guy's business.

"But the Rod is here in Egypt," Trouble said, still puzzled. "It's at your house."

For a second, Marik could swear his breathing stopped.

* * *

"Excuse me," Artemis asked, his lips twitching upward in a smirk, "but by 'jet', do you mean your _dragon_ jet?" Artemis' emphasis on that single word said it all.

No one insulted Kaiba's precious Blue Eyes and got away with it. "The Blue Eyes jet is the peak of technological progress," he growled. "Faster and more efficient than anything _you _might possess."

"Yes, if our plan is to incapacitate the LEP through laughter," Artemis said. "Frankly, your jet is…how shall I put this?..._ridiculous. _Mine on the other hand…"

Holly spoke up. "We should take Artemis' jet." Before Kaiba could argue, she continued, "How else are they going to get it back to Ireland?"

"We'll take two then," Kaiba said. "One of mine, and Fowl's. Mokuba and I'll need to get back home after this…_business _is concluded."

Holly shuddered. "Don't you Mud Men pollute the environment enough?"

And things might have gotten extremely ugly if there hadn't been someone in the room who still retained their common sense. Mokuba stepped in between.

"Stop it, both of you," he said, so firmly that both squabbling teenagers looked at him. "This _argument _is ridiculous. You're supposed to be masterminds." Both Kaiba and Artemis had the grace to look uncomfortable. "Let's try and focus on the important issues." Then he glanced at his brother nervously. "Besides, Seto, the Blue Eyes jet is only designed for two people."

Artemis smirked at Kaiba triumphantly. "And in case you haven't noticed," he purred, "there are nine of us. So…"

"Eight." Ryou stepped away from the wall, drawing everyone's attention and cutting off whatever Artemis might have been about to say. The white-haired boy looked around, meeting everyone's eyes. "I won't be going with you."

"What?" The Pharaoh had been startled out of his composure. "Why not?"

Ryou smiled sadly. "Think about it, Pharaoh. If this works, you'll get your memories back. You'll be able to access _all _your powers. Do you really think the spirit possessing me would allow that?"

There was dead silence as the ramifications of this sank in. Ryou lifted his chin and spoke into that silence. "He'd kill you rather than let that happen. And he'd use my body to do it. To stop him, you'd have to kill _me_. I'm staying here."

"But…" the Pharaoh began.

"He's making sense," Holly said quietly. "Ryou knows better than any of us what the Tomb Robber's capable of."

"I'll try and delay him as much as I can," Ryou said, still in the calm, detached tone. "I can't promise he won't seize control and go after you, but I'm hoping that if you're not nearby he'll be quieter. You can at least get a head start."

"What about the bio-bomb?" Mokuba protested. "If you're all by yourself, will you be able to stop it?"

Ryou laughed. "One of the few advantages to sharing a body with Bakura is that he doesn't let anyone _else_ hurt me. He can use his power; we'll be alright. Go, Yugi, and don't worry about me."

His brown eyes looked into the Pharaoh's beseechingly. Slowly, reluctantly, the Pharaoh nodded. "Very well."

"I have to get back to Haven," Root said uncomfortably. "I'll take the convict back with me in the shuttle."

"Hey, wait a minute…" Mulch started to protest, but as per usual, Root cut him off.

"You don't have a choice, Convict," he growled. "It's time to find you a nice comfy cell."

"But I've been helping!" exclaimed Mulch indignantly. At everyone's skeptical look, his shrugged. "Sorta."

"As in 'not.'" Root said. "You've done nothing but eat, sleep, and steal ever since you arrived…"

"I'm a necessary member of this team…!"

"We're wasting time." The Pharaoh's words cut through the argument and restored order.

Abashed, everyone shut up.

"This is how it will be," the Pharaoh said, in a voice that brooked no argument. "Commander Root and Mulch will return to Haven by shuttle as planned. Artemis and Butler will travel in their jet, _assuming_ it can be fueled and ready to fly by the time we reach the airstrip. Kaiba, Mokuba, Holly, and I will travel in a KaibaCorp jet, again assuming one is ready for takeoff immediately. We will rely on you," he said, nodding at Holly, "to direct us."

Holly nodded. Unconsciously, her body straightened and her arms clamped tight to her sides.

The Pharaoh's violet eyes turned to Ryou. "Take care of yourself."

"I'll be fine. I'll call Marik and Ishizu," the white-haired boy replied, forcing a smile. "They're vulnerable without their Millennium Items."

A slight smile tugged at the corners of the Pharaoh's mouth. "I think you'll find that they're less helpless than you think. But they will still need a warning."

"I will contact my operative in Cairo," Root said. "They'll get the warning."

The Pharaoh nodded acknowledgement. He turned to the room at large. "And there will be no more arguing," he finished firmly.

The banter and squabbling from before was gone. The mood was suddenly serious, as each realized that this was not a game. People could actually die. And the man who they had played pranks on and dismissed as merely 'annoying' – Bakura – would kill without a thought.

"Well then, let's go," Kaiba said finally, striding for the door. "Like the Pharaoh said, we're wasting time." The Pharaoh hid a smile at the careless way Kaiba used his title. "Let's go, Mokuba."

The Kaiba brothers left the room. After a slight hesitation, Butler, Holly, Root, and Mulch followed, the fairy commander once again dragging the reluctant dwarf. As Artemis made to go after them, Pharaoh laid a staying hand on his arm. The teen stopped, startled at the expression in the other man's eyes.

"I hope for your sake that Kaiba and Mokuba are wrong about what you're doing," he said quietly. "Because if it _is _true, there is nowhere you could run where you'd be safe."

Artemis gave him his coolest look. "From them?"

The Pharaoh blinked at him with those eerie violet eyes. In the light, they had taken on a strange crimson shade, the color of blood. Artemis stood frozen. He could hear his heart hammering.

"From me." Then without another word, the Pharaoh turned and left the room, trotting a few paces to catch up with the others.

Despite himself, Artemis shivered.


	19. Chapter 19

Fortified with a new cup of coffee and eight hours sleep, Foaly returned to the Operations Booth ready for action.

"Okay, computer," he said, dropping into his custom-made swivel chair and stretching his arms. "Let her rip."

"I'm a computer," the computer told him oh so innocently. "I'm not capable of _ripping_ anything."

Foaly grit his teeth. "Just give me the results, you stupid machine!"

"Well, why didn't you say so?" the computer inquired.

Foaly restrained the urge to yell and throw things. "Computer, revert to the default voice module," he ground out. He had the sudden, horrible realization that he sounded exactly like Commander Julius Root.

"Yes sir," the computer said, in perfectly clipped, metallic tones.

"Alright," Foaly said, taking a deep breath. "When was the last time that this file was accessed?"

"To which file are you referring?"

Several of the LEP operatives working in their cubicles outside would have required hearing aids if the Operations Booth hadn't been sound-proofed.

* * *

"So," Seto said, his voice low and venomous. "What are the odds that _every single one _of the KaibaCorp jets is currently undergoing repairs?"

Mokuba shrugged, ignoring the suspicious looks his brother was giving him. They were sitting in the back of one of the KaibaCorp limos on their way to the airstrip. Much to Kaiba's everlasting shame, they would be flying with Artemis Fowl. The Pharaoh sat across from them, but he was determinedly not looking in their direction. Mokuba got the impression that the King of Games was repressing a smirk.

Holly, rather than ride with an angry Kaiba, had taken to the air. She was somewhere above them now; they'd meet up on the runway. Mokuba envied her. He just hoped Seto and Artemis would work things out during the flight; otherwise, he'd be stuck with a foul-tempered and possibly unstable brother with nothing to show for his little stunt.

Seto had lapsed into a grumpy silence, arms crossed, staring out the window. Pharaoh shifted restlessly. Then, without warning, he kicked Kaiba in the shin. Not particularly hard, but definitely enough to get the other boy's attention. Kaiba's glare could have singlehandedly produced another Hiroshima. The pharaoh met his gaze without flinching.

"You're acting like a child," he said. "So your jets are unavailable. Get. Over. It."

This time, it was a marvel that the King of Games did not spontaneously combust, such was the heat of Kaiba's glare. Yugi would have cringed and withdrawn immediately, but the Pharaoh was still in control of the body, and did not move.

For a long moment, the two boys were locked together in a battle of wills. Mokuba watched with bated breath as they stared unmoving into each other's eyes; the mental contest between them was practically visible. Alerted by the possible threat, their unconscious magic stirred.

It was this that restored them both to sanity. The Pharaoh went back to looking out the window, and Seto pulled his laptop from his bag. Though the mood in the limo was still tense, it was now a different kind of tension, a little less stifling. Mokuba breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sir," the driver said, after several long minutes in absolute silence. "We are approaching the airstrip."

Seto closed his laptop and shoved it back into his briefcase.

"About time."

* * *

If not for a particularly ambitious gnome, the bio-bomb might have never been launched.

Ark Sool was unusually tall and thin for a gnome, and he had a brusque no-nonsense attitude that immediately rubbed Vox the wrong way. But he had access to the bio-bomb, and he knew how to program it. And more importantly, he was willing to help. It was well-known that Sool disapproved of the way the LEP was run under Julius Root, viewing it as "a bunch of loose cannons run by a maverick." If Root were to die, his replacement would have the chance to change this. And Sool was power-hungry, which suited Vox just fine.

Unfortunately, the process was taking _hours_. And even worse, in Vox's view, only one bio-bomb could be prepped at a time. Which meant that the two remaining Magic Mud Men, tucked out of the way in Egypt, would have to wait. The other three were far more powerful, and therefore, more of a threat.

But finally, the programming was complete. The bio-bomb was ready to be launched.

"We have another problem," Sool reported to Vox, who was hunched over a computer console, examining a technical readout of the bio-bomb and pretending to understand it. "I checked the sensors. Two of the Mud Men – Mutou and Kaiba – are in the air. They're traveling too fast for the bio-bomb to target them."

"What about the other one?" Vox asked, gripping the edges of the console convulsively. "Bakura?"

"Still in Domino City."

Vox cursed, very creatively and at length. Finally, since Sool seemed to be waiting for some kind of coherent response, he took a deep breath. "Launch the bio-bomb when they land. And send someone to take care of Bakura," he added shrilly. "He's the dangerous one."

Sool restrained the urge to roll his eyes. Clearly, the councilman didn't feel comfortable saying the word 'assassin.' "You'll support me for Root's successor?"

"Yes," Vox said impatiently. Honestly, was that all the gnome cared about?

"Then I'll take care of it."

* * *

The door swung so hard into the opposite wall that it left a dent as it rebounded. Ishizu gave her brother a disapproving look.

"I was just about to send someone out to look for you," she said, folding the last crisp white robe and hoisting the laundry basket to her hip. As always, she looked like a queen, not someone who should be doing something as mundane as laundry.

But Marik barely noticed. "Where is it?"

She looked puzzled. "Where is _what_?"

"The Rod!" Marik yelled.

For a moment, something like real shock flickered across Ishizu's face. The laundry basket tumbled to the floor. She didn't seem to notice. "The Rod is with Yugi," she said shakily. "So is the Necklace. Marik, you know this."

He was shaking his head. "It's not. It's here! Why did you hide it from me?" He was growing angrier by the second. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't try and manipulate me like Father did!"

She shook her head too, her expression a mixture of hurt and bewilderment. "Marik, the Rod and the Necklace _are not here._ I am not hiding anything from you."

"Our sensors say the Items are definitely here."

Ishizu let out a little shriek as she finally noticed the fairy commando hovering behind her brother. She stumbled backwards, her brown eyes wide with shock. "Who are you? What are you doing in our house?"

"Sister, it's okay," Marik hurried to assure her. "This is Captain Trouble Kelp. He's a fairy."

Ishizu had just opened her mouth to ask another question when the phone rang. Casting another wary glance at Trouble, Ishizu went to answer it.

"Ryou?"

Marik perked up his ears, but the rest of the conversation was lost as Ishizu turned her back to them and lowered her voice. He could hear her murmuring, then pause to listen to the white-haired boy's response. The conversation seemed to go on for hours, though in reality it was probably only a few minutes. Finally, she hung up the phone and turned back to Marik and Trouble.

One look at her face told Marik exactly how much trouble they were in.

"Sister," he said more softly, "Are the Rod and the Necklace here?"

Her shoulders slumped. "I don't know," she whispered.

Moving mechanically, she led them to the back of the house, into the bedroom that she kept off-limits from Marik and Odion. Ishizu lived simply; the room contained little more than a bed covered in clean white sheets, a bookcase filled with fairly innocuous books on ancient Egypt, and a desk where she could do her work. Looking around, Marik could see nothing that warranted a ban on entering. Perhaps Ishizu simply liked her privacy.

She went to the closet in the back of the room and stood there for a moment before its doors, hesitating. Marik was afraid she would never move, but at last, she opened the closet. Her movements were stiff and uncertain. She reached inside and pulled out a FedEx box. It looked unopened.

"The Pharaoh sent me this a few weeks ago," Ishizu said, turning back to Marik and Trouble with the box in her hands. "I haven't had the…the courage to open it. He said I would know when it was time."

There was a moment's pause. Then: "He _FedExed_ the Millennium Items?" Marik asked incredulously.

Ishizu smiled slightly, some of the tension gone from her face. "I suppose he's just adjusting to the times, Marik." She reached into her robes and pulled out a small folding knife, used for prying out stubborn artifacts and occasionally – though not so often now – for self-defense. Taking a deep breath, she cut through the tape and opened the box.

The Millennium Rod and the Millennium Necklace lay cradled in a thick cushion of packing peanuts. The gold winked up at Marik innocently, as though the Items _weren't _magical and hadn't been created using the blood and souls of an entire village. Marik shuddered; that was one more secret of the Pharaoh he wished he had never learned.

Without a word, Ishizu reached into box and lifted the Necklace out. Lowering the box onto the bed, she fastened the Item around her neck. Instantly, it began to glow, briefly illuminating Ishizu's face. Then the glow was gone, and the Necklace lay dormant as before. Ishizu turned to Marik, and there was a question in her eyes.

Marik took a deep breath. All that remained was for him to reach into the box and grasp the Rod. He stretched out a hand…and hesitated. He remembered Battle City, holding the Rod in his hand as he dueled and destroyed Yugi's friends one by one. How he had tried to destroy the Pharaoh himself. Unlike Bakura, Marik did not have the excuse of being possessed by an evil spirit. The darkness that the Rod had unleashed had come entirely from Marik himself.

He remembered how the Rod had felt at first in his hands: raw, alien, and somehow _wrong. _As though he was not the one meant to wield it. But he had quickly repressed the thought and finally bent the Item to his will. He had no doubt that he could do so again.

Simply put, the Rod was power, and power felt _good_. Marik's fingers tightened convulsively on air. With this in his hand, and with his knowledge of how to wield it, he could handle anything. But could he take that risk?

_Is this my only choice?_ he thought. _To protect Odion and Ishizu? To protect _myself_? _

He reached out for the Rod…and then drew his hand back.

"Keep it," he told Ishizu, turning away from the open box with an effort. "Until we're sure there's no other choice."

As Ishizu closed the package without comment and returned the box to her closet, Marik stood with his back to her, fists clenched. He was trembling.

_I just hope it doesn't come to that._

* * *

"So…joining us after all, Mr. Kaiba?" Artemis asked. Part of him – and Butler, judging by his disapproving glare – knew that it was unwise to bait Kaiba, but Artemis found he simply couldn't resist.

Kaiba's blue eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Instead, he beckoned to Mokuba and made to enter the jet. But the gigantic bodyguard stepped into his way. Kaiba's cold eyes slid slowly up to Butler's face. The look in them would have made a lesser man shudder.

"Sorry, but I'll need any weapons you may be carrying," Butler said, ignoring his own discomfort.

A small smile quirked the corners of Kaiba's mouth. He did not mention what they both were thinking: with the magic that was – albeit tentatively – under Kaiba's command, he _was _a weapon. Instead, he reached under his coat and produced a gun, which he offered to the bodyguard.

It was a FN 57, a military pistol capable of punching through Kevlar vests and CRISAT protection with ease. It was expensive, but to a man who did not have to worry about money, it was the perfect gun. Semi-compact, easily concealed, and with little recoil, it fired a 5.7mm bullet, and just one magazine held twenty rounds of ammo. But a man like Kaiba would not carry just one mag…

"Ammo?"

Kaiba arched an eyebrow, but reached into the shoulder holster now visible beneath his coat and procured a backup magazine. He handed this to Butler as well. Eying him narrowly, Butler slid the active magazine from the gun and then stowed the gun itself inside his jacket.

Kaiba looked almost bored by the whole procedure. "Satisfied?"

_Not remotely._ Butler performed a thorough pat-down, which Kaiba endured in silence. His cold eyes met Artemis' over the bodyguard's shoulder when Butler bent down, and the expression in them was anything but friendly. But Artemis did not flinch. The Pharaoh was also looking at him, and this brought back the memory of the man's last words before leaving the apartment. Compared with the Pharaoh, Kaiba seemed tame.

Butler soon found the backup gun, a Walter PPS secured to the outside of Kaiba's right calf. He held it up before Kaiba's face accusingly, and the Kaiba shrugged.

The others looked at him wide-eyed.

Finally finished, Butler nodded for the brunette to enter the plane. He performed similar pat-downs on the Pharaoh and Mokuba as well, though perhaps not quite as thorough, and then waved them inside. Holly slipped inside at the last moment, unshielding in one of the plushly padded seats. Butler glanced at her, and by unspoken communication left her alone.

Kaiba settled back into his chair as they took off, feeling the comforting weight of the Infidel switchblade in his boot. A classic hiding place, perhaps, but these boots were specially designed to withstand searching without revealing their hidden contents. _And_, Kaiba thought with a smirk, _they've performed according to expectations._

"Look, Seto. A chess board!"

He looked. Mokuba was right; there was a chess board near the rear of the airplane, carefully stowed for take-off. Despite himself, Kaiba felt a pang of longing. He hadn't played chess in so long; it was hard to find an opponent skilled enough to offer him a real fight. Yugi didn't play.

At the same time, it was impossible not to associate chess with Gozaboro, since it was a game of chess that had won Seto and Mokuba a place in the billionaire's home. Though Kaiba was not one to look back at the past, he found himself wishing sometimes that he had never challenged the man. His victory had been a costly one. Judging by Mokuba's expression, his brother was having the same associations.

"You play chess?" Holly asked. She vaguely remembered Foaly saying something about Kaiba and a chess game.

Mokuba nodded before Kaiba could answer. "Seto and I used to play all the time in the orphanage. Winning at a chess game was how we entered Gozaboro's house."

"Right," Holly said uncomfortably. She had seen the guns Kaiba carried, and now she could remember Foaly telling her about Gozaboro Kaiba's unfortunate 'fall' from his office window. She was having less and less trouble believing that Kaiba could have murdered his stepfather. And not for the first time, she found herself worrying about Artemis. What had he gotten himself into?

"You and Artemis should play," Mokuba suggested to his brother, a little too brightly. "You shouldn't work on your laptop the whole time, Seto."

Kaiba opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again. Fowl was watching him with a slightly patronizing smirk. All at once, Seto felt an almost overwhelming desire to beat the other boy and to feel the familiar carved pieces in his hand. So instead of protesting, he smiled.

"I don't have to ask you if you play, do I, _Stefan_?" he asked. Artemis' eyes gleamed, and he slowly shook his head.

A few moments later, they sat on either side of the board, Kaiba white and Artemis black. Kaiba lifted his dark blue eyes to meet Artemis' identical ones. The challenge there was unmistakable. Then, slowly, his lip curled in a cruel parody of a smile.

"Pawn to F4."

* * *

He could feel his host struggling to restrain him, and he laughed at the foolish boy's pathetic efforts. With a burst of strength, he swept his soul restraints aside.

For a long while, he merely stretched, reveling in the feeling of their shared mind under his control. Then, eliciting a particularly anguished moan from his host, he violently searched their memories, trying to see exactly what the boy had hoped to conceal. They were patchy, scratched and blurred like an old CD. More secrets.

The images sharpened as he focused his power. He saw a hotel room, and the hated Pharaoh with the others. He heard voices, words, and the brat's plan became suddenly clear.

So the Pharaoh hoped to regain his power? That would not happen. He would not allow it to happen.

Ignoring his host's futile cries of protest, he sought the Pharaoh with his magic. He frowned. The Pharaoh was over the ocean? But that made no sense, unless…a curse rose to his lips. He did not know where they planned to land, or where the Ritual would ultimately take place. He would have to wait.

But in the meantime, he thought, turning back to the white-haired boy shaking with pain and fear on the floor of his soul room, he would make his host pay for his interference.


	20. Chapter 20

Commander Julius Root certainly had other duties to attend to. Foaly was involved with his own project, and Mulch was in a nice comfy cell. As for the commander himself, he had a rather intimidating stack of paperwork that had been accumulating during his absence. But no matter how often Root tried to repress them, his thoughts kept wandering back to Yugi and the Pharaoh. And Kaiba too, though Root would rather spend six months doing sewer duty in Atlantis than admit it. He had demanded updates of both Holly andTrouble, andso far everything seemed to be running relatively smoothly. Marik and Ishizu were in possession of their Millennium Items and were holding tight for a while. At the first sign of trouble, they were prepared to disappear. According to Holly, Kaiba and Artemis were currently...um…_working out their differences_, and so far neither one had killed the other. Yugi and the Pharaoh were alright as well, if somewhat distant.

Everything was fine. They would reach Ireland soon, perform the Ritual, and, hopefully, restore the Pharaoh's memories.

So why was Root feeling so _twitchy_?

Finally, after reading the same line of the same report for the fifth time, he gave up. Ten minutes later, he was in a shuttle and headed for the surface.

If Julius Root had hung around Headquarters for just five more minutes, he would have been in time to see Foaly charge out of the Operations Booth, waving a sheet of paper and yelling "Commander! Commander!" at the top of his lungs.

If Julius Root had hung around Headquarters for just five more minutes, he would have also seen (and laughed at) the centaur trip over his own hooves and face-plant on the floor.

But Root had already departed for the surface by the time Foaly did any of these things, and he had turned off his communicator, so whatever message the centaur had wanted to impart was fated to go unheard.

* * *

Finding a professional assassin among a supposedly peace-loving people is fairly difficult. Fortunately, Ark Sool knew the right elf for the job.

The specifics of Mortimer Sharpe's childhood weren't that important. Typical mom, typical dad, typical brothers and sisters. Young Mortimer was pretty typical too, with one exception.

He liked to kill things.

At age 12, his parents enrolled him in martial arts classes.

"He just needs to work off some energy," his father told his mother. "You know how boys are." He wasn't unduly worried. Mortimer was a fairly typical kid, aside from a couple incidents with swear toads (and wasn't he doing everyone a favor by getting rid of _them_?), and his father fully expected the martial arts to serve as a perfect distraction.

Unfortunately, it didn't take Mortimer long to master his first martial art. This time, it wasn't swear toads. It was cats. His parents enrolled him in another class.

Mortimer took it like a fish to water.

By age twenty, Mortimer was proficient in just about every martial art that existed and a few that didn't. As a result, he spent several years making money by beating local martial arts champions. He even had a small (but highly dedicated) fan base. But the problem with being so good at anything is that soon you get bored.

So Mortimer Sharpe decided to advance to more interesting game: humanoids. Though it was difficult to find a teacher in the art of assassination, Mortimer was persistent.

Jasper Oak was a living legend among the criminal underworld. It was rumored that he had actually assassinated _three _major heads of state in the same day using nothing more than a toothpick and a napkin. Mortimer proved himself to be a most willing pupil.

By age thirty, he could kill with just about anything, including, as he knew from experience, a roll of toilet paper.

But that's another story.

All that mattered at the moment was that he was currently crouched outside the window of a very expensive hotel room, dreaming of the vast sums of money he was about to make and preparing to make an entrance. He could of course have taken out Ryou Bakura from two thousand yards with his high-powered custom-made sniper rifle, but where was the fun in that?

The boy was standing with his back to the window, apparently staring into space. Mentally, Mortimer snorted.

_Like taking candy from a baby._

He looked around the room, debating what to use. Chair? No, too awkward. Besides, any idiot and his brother could knock someone over the head. Bed sheets? Could work, except that the target was currently standing between him and the bed. Mortimer scanned the desk.

Perfect. Paperclips. He slipped through the window and entered the room.

When Mortimer was two feet from his target, Bakura turned. Mortimer was not alarmed; a mere human wouldn't be able to see through his shield. Bakura's face was drawn as though in pain, but his lips were twitching in a cruel smile. His dark eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

"Don't you understand, my _dear light_?" he murmured to thin air. The last words were nearly a purr, deadly soft. "You are _mine_."

Then he _laughed_. The sound raised all the hair on Mortimer's arms and on the back of his neck. There was absolutely no humanity in that laughter, no shred of kindness or compassion. For the first time in almost a hundred years, he was afraid.

As suddenly as it had begun, the laughter stopped. The mirth in Bakura's eyes vanished. The body stopped its shuddering. Slowly, deliberately, the boy's eyes met Mortimer's.

"You know, it's very rude to enter someone's room without their permission," Bakura said conversationally.

_But that's impossible! Humans can't see through shields!_

Fortunately, Mortimer recovered quickly from this little setback. He'd worry about the how of it later. He unshielded and accessed the mesmer. _**"Ignore me," **_he droned. _**"Go back to what you were doing."**_

Bakura grinned. "Or not."

And before Mortimer Sharpe could so much as open his mouth to try again, a blast of Shadow Magic struck him in the chest.

* * *

Butler sat behind the wheel of the Bentley, driving in silence. Pharaoh, riding shotgun, was equally silent; every moment that they drew closer to their goal he seemed to get more and more withdrawn. The others sat in the back, not talking. Mokuba had made some attempts at conversation, but when nobody seemed inclined to help him, he had stopped.

Finally, Holly decided to address the subject they were all avoiding. "It was just a chess game. It's not the end of the world."

Artemis and Kaiba shifted uncomfortably, but still no one spoke.

Holly wasn't willing to let this go. "You're being childish!" she exploded. "What is the big deal?"

"It was a stalemate," Pharaoh said.

Holly glared at him. "So what?"

That elicited a tiny smile from Pharaoh. "So they both hate to lose," he rumbled. "And to have no winner at all is far worse."

Holly snorted and crossed her arms. "I still think they're being childish," she muttered grumpily.

"It's ironic," Pharaoh murmured, so quietly that only Butler could hear.

The bodyguard glanced at him. "How so?"

Pharaoh shook his head. "Never mind." He went back to staring out the window.

And they continued on in silence.

* * *

The pharaoh had landed.

Bakura smirked and called the Shadows. A little judicious use of magic and he would be in Ireland – if he was reading the other man's position correctly – within moments. Plenty of time to prevent the Ritual. Darkness began to seep from his eyes until it blanketed the room.

But something was wrong. The Shadows responded, yes, but sluggishly. He snarled and focused harder. More Shadows came, but still not enough. He could _sense _a portal a few inches beyond his mental fingers, but he could not bring it into being!

Anger, mixed with panic, engulfed him. Then his eyes fell on the still body of the fairy assassin. He cursed as realization hit.

He had overextended his power. In wasting some of it on destroying his would-be assailant, he had inadvertently ruined his chance to create a portal. His magic would return with rest, but by then it might be too late…

A cry of rage surged to his lips, but he contained it. Instead, he restrained himself to delivering a violent kick to the corpse's ribs.

_Well Pharaoh, _he sneered, _I guess you have just won yourself a reprieve. Enjoy it while you can._

He refused to think about the consequences should the Ritual succeed.

* * *

"This is _it_?"

Though he was much too polite to echo Kaiba's incredulous tone, Pharaoh privately had to admit that the other boy had a point. The scene before them was nothing special. The sheer _size_ of the tree was impressive, to be sure, but that was the only thing that caught his eye. The only sound was the chirping of crickets.

"What were you expecting?" Holly asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kaiba didn't have an answer for that. Holly waited a moment or two until it was clear that he wasn't about to respond, then smirked. "Can't you feel the magic, Mud Boy?"

Now that Holly had mentioned it, Pharaoh _could _feel it. It was faint, but it was certainly there. It was also uncomfortable, like wearing burlap.

_**Pharaoh, are you alright?**_

Yami smiled at the tender concern in the other's voice. _**Yes, Aibou. I'm fine. **_

_**This place feels wonderful, **_Yugi said dreamily. _**Comforting. Like hot chocolate on a cold day when you're snuggled up to the fire. **_He stopped, clearly embarrassed. _**Sorry.**_

_**No need to apologize, **_Yami hastened to reassure him. _But why does it not bother him?_

Artemis Fowl was looking around with interest. "This is the location of our first meeting," he observed to Holly. His expression was somewhere between amused and curious. "An interesting choice."

Holly narrowed her eyes. "It's remote, which means the People are more unlikely to visit it. And we don't need you learning any more of our hotspots."

"Really, Captain," Artemis said. "Do you think I would revert to my old ways?"

"Better safe than sorry," she said curtly. She turned away, and therefore missed the brief pang that flashed across Artemis' face. It was gone so quickly that anyone observing it might have passed it off as his imagination.

Holly led the group over to a patch of dirt beneath the wide-spreading branches of the tree. The ground was covered with acorns, some of them fairly large.

"So what now?" Kaiba asked, looking down at Holly. "How does this Ritual thing work?"

"Take an acorn," Holly said simply. "And bury it."

Kaiba's expression matched his earlier tone. "Bury an acorn?" he repeated. "That's it?"

"That's it."

Kaiba snorted in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

Holly shrugged. "Do it or don't. I don't really care."

Pharaoh leaned down and picked up a sizable acorn, about the size of a golf ball. Holding it in his hand, he knelt down and began digging a small hole with his fingers.

Kaiba sighed and handed his briefcase to Mokuba. "This has to be the stupidest looking thing I have ever done." Wisely, no one commented. The lanky CEO scooped up another acorn and crouched down. In moments, he had a hole roughly the same size as Yugi's.

Yami looked up at him. "Together?"

Kaiba shrugged assent. Pharaoh clenched the acorn even more tightly.

_**Are you ready, Aibou?**_ he asked. He could feel Yugi's comforting presence beside him, offering his support.

_**I'm ready.**_

Yami took a deep breath, and plunged his hand into the hole.

* * *

Artemis watched with mingled fascination and horror as Kaiba, who was nearer, doubled over with a groan. The boy's proud features were no longer composed. Face twisted with pain and anguish, he stared at something no one else could see.

"No! Kisara! Pharaoh!" The words seemed torn from him without his volition; Artemis was certain that Kaiba would never under ordinary circumstances have allowed so much emotion to cloud his voice. He caught a glimpse of Holly, her hazel eyes wide with dismay.

Perhaps it was this that prompted Artemis to act. He strode forward and grasped Kaiba by the shoulder. He was not sure what he intended to do, but he could not just stand there and watch.

His fingers brushed fabric…

_Walking on the banks of the Nile. The city streets, the smell of cooking food. The feel of cool metal in his grip._

The visions were flashing by too quickly: a whole lifetime of memories condensed into a single minute.

_A battlefield. Two figures huddle behind shards of broken rock. Wind whips their hair and clothing, blood drenches everything. Words, too hard to hear over the roaring wind. _

_Bodies everywhere. They wade over the bodies of the dead. _

_A ruined temple, the desert stretching on beyond. A dead girl in his arms. _No, not his arms, not his arms, not…

_Bright blade, red blood splashing to the ground. Strange that gold could cut so deep. Shadows, shrieking, whirling, calling…bright light. A man, dead or dying. His companion cries his name. No, not his name. That's gone…_

_Shattered pieces of the Puzzle, carefully collected. No time to grieve, no time to mourn. No time to remember. No time…_

"Artemis! Artemis!"

The real world returned with a jerk. Artemis found himself kneeling on the ground next to Kaiba. His entire body was shaking uncontrollably. Butler crouched over him, calling his name, voice tight with worry. Part of Artemis' mind registered that Kaiba had fallen silent.

"I'm…fine," he managed to gasp. "I'm fine." Taking deep breaths, he glanced over at Kaiba, who was on his hands and knees, supporting himself with trembling arms.

It was Kaiba, and yet not Kaiba, staring out at Artemis through those old, old eyes. A kind of understanding passed between them at that moment. Perhaps it was not bosom friendship, but it was a start.

"Oh my God."

Both turned to see what was causing such horror in Mokuba's voice. And both gasped as they saw what he had seen.

For Kaiba, the process of restoring his magic, though painful, was fairly straightforward. Seth's soul, his identity, was untouched, completely present in his reincarnation. The memories were there, ready to be awakened. It was simply a matter of creating a link.

The Pharaoh was not so lucky. His name, _his_ identity, had been erased. His soul was fragmented, broken, just like the Puzzle where it had resided for five thousand years. He was little more than a parasite now, a spirit that flitted at the corners of the real world. He had sealed away his memories behind barriers paid for with his soul.

To retrieve them, to reawaken the magic, the Ritual would need to tear these barriers down. The Shadows guarding them rose up to resist.

The Pharaoh's body had just become a battlefield.

_Can't scream can't breathe can't move oh gods make it stop_

_Let me die_

The Pharaoh's voiceless howl would remain with Holly for the rest of her life. He writhed, cracking his head sharply on the ground, keening without sound. Both hands tightened compulsively, clawing at the ground as though desperate to stay anchored. His forehead smashed into the ground again, and as he raised it, she could see a dark smear of blood. He looked like he was having some kind of epileptic fit. Blood was oozing from his clenched fist, so tight was his grip on the acorn within it. Blood spilled from his mouth as well; he had bitten his tongue.

Then, without warning, he fell utterly still, facedown on the ground.

Holly reached his side at the same time that Butler did. Together, they turned his body over. There was no movement, no sign of breathing. Quick fingers found the side of Pharaoh's neck, checked for a pulse.

Nothing.

Pharaoh's heart had stopped.


	21. Chapter 21

_Pharaoh Atem sat on his throne, gazing at the two unusual delegates that stood before his throne. Had he not been well-versed in magic, he might have been shocked by their small size and pointy ears, their narrow faces and strange complexions. Their clothing was strange as well in some way he could not define. Yes, had he not been well-versed in magic, he might have been surprised by their appearance._

_And, that is, had he not been expecting them._

"_My name is Parethmus," the lead fairy said, bowing low. "This is my companion, Naeglith." The other delegate mimicked his bow. Both glanced warily at Seth, standing quietly at his Pharaoh's side. Atem understood that look._

_"Seth has my complete confidence. You may speak before him freely. Should something happen to me, he speaks with my voice."_

_Parethmus seemed reassured, but Naeglith still stared at Seth with mistrust. Cool blue eyes met his. For a long moment, they stared at each other, then Naeglith swallowed and looked away. A tiny smile quirked the corners of Seth's mouth._

_Parethmus refused to be distracted by the power struggle; he kept his eyes fixed on the king. The young king fascinated him. Barely more than an infant by fairy standards, he had already been ruling for four years, and in those four years had brought peace and prosperity to Egypt. He had given the People a home aboveground. If not for that, they would not have come._

"_There is little time, so I will not waste it with pleasantries," Parethmus said. "We have come to discuss a matter of great importance."_

_Pharaoh nodded. "The Thief King."  
_

_Parethmus winced. "Yes, the Thief King. We have felt the magic that he is calling, Pharaoh. Should he succeed in his abomination, it will mean the end of our world."_

_Pharaoh did not look surprised by this statement, only unbearably sad. "I had thought as much."_

"_You do not seem alarmed," Naeglith said angrily. "Don't you understand the significance of what Bakura attempts to do?"_

_For the first time, the pharaoh showed a hint of anger. "He _attempts_ to summon The Demon back into our world. He _attempts_ to seize control of the Shadow Realm and thus draw upon almost _unlimited_ power. He _attempts_ to dominate Egypt and force my people into slavery. As for my priests and myself, we shall suffer in unbearable agony for the remainder of our lives, and when we die, our souls will writhe in torment until the end of time." His eyes flashed. "So _yes_, I understand the _significance _of what the Thief King attempts to do."_

_Seth spoke for the first time. "If he gains the power he seeks, the People will not stay hidden for long."_

"_We must aid each other," the pharaoh said firmly, looking from one delegate to another. "Or watch our worlds fall."_

_Parethmus squared his shoulders. "Tell us what you need us to do."_

* * *

For an embarrassingly long moment, they all stood frozen in horror. Kaiba tried to struggle to the pharaoh's side, but his brush with magic had left him shaken and dizzy, and he could not crawl more than a few inches towards the other boy before his weary arms gave way and he sprawled clumsily to the ground. He lifted his head, and Artemis read the desperation in his eyes.

"Pharaoh!"

Butler was the first to unfreeze. He linked his massive hands and began to administer CPR. _Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty._ He tilted the boy's head back and blew air into his lungs. He listened, his fingers feeling expertly for a pulse.

Nothing.

_Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty._

Nothing.

_Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty._ _Breathe._

"C'mon," Holly muttered as she watched Butler work. "C'mon, Pharaoh. Breathe."

"Breathe!"

* * *

_Parethmus stared at him with wide eyes. "That is insanity!"_

_The pharaoh fixed him with a cold violet stare. "There is no other way."_

_Naeglith shook his head violently from side to side. "The cure is worse than the disease!"_

"_Worse than to see an entire people enslaved and another destroyed?" Pharaoh asked sardonically. "Worse than a demon returned to earth, and a murderer in possession of unlimited magical power?" He snorted. "I think not. I am, after all, just one man."_

_"If we teach you this ritual, you will die!" Parethmus protested. "You will suffer a fate worse than death." _

_"Yes, and my people and yours will be safe," the pharaoh said. "It seems a fair price."_

_They stared at him with new respect. "You are a very unusual human, Pharaoh," Parethmus said at last._

_Pharaoh smiled, a warm smile that temporarily wiped the cares from his young face. "I will take that as a compliment."_

* * *

A tiny fluttering sensation against Butler's fingers. A pulse? He renewed his efforts. Mokuba lifted his tear-stained eyes from Holly's uniform, a look of tentative hope flitting across his face. Kaiba watched anxiously. Even Artemis felt his heart flutter.

Together, they all joined in the silent chant.

'_C'mon Pharaoh. Breathe!'_

* * *

"_He will come soon."_

_The pharaoh nodded. "Thanks to you, he will find us ready." _

_There was nothing left to discus – Naeglith had already returned home – yet still Parethmus hesitated. "The People will fight for you," he said. "You don't need to…"_

"_This way, only one need suffer for Bakura's outrages."_

I hope you're right, _Parethmus thought heavily. But he could not bear to lay another burden on Pharaoh's shoulders. _

_The pharaoh seemed to guess his thoughts. "Either way, this is goodbye."_

_Parethmus swallowed a lump in his throat. "Yes, Pharaoh, this is goodbye."_

_Though Pharaoh smiled, his eyes were sad. "Goodbye then, Parethmus. I shall miss you."_

_"No," Parethmus said, turning and walking from the hall. "you won't."_

* * *

When the pharaoh's heart restarted, Bakura's nearly stopped. For a moment, he couldn't move, frozen. Then, frantically, he started reaching for the magic once again. He _had _to make a portal, cross the ocean and kill Pharaoh before he could recover.

He _had _to, or all was lost.

* * *

_Pharaoh stood among the ruins of his palace. He was covered with blood, though not all of it his, his tricolored hair now varying shades of maroon and matted to his cheeks. When he brushed it impatiently away, it left streaks of red across his face. Seth leaned against a broken pillar nearby, each breath coming in a rasping wheeze. His hand was clasped to his side, trying to stem the flow of blood. _

_It didn't matter now anyway; running would only delay the inevitable. _

_Sparing only one more glance for his wounded friend, Pharaoh began to speak, carefully weaving the spells that would summon the Shadows. This ritual dated back to the darkest of times, a time that the People no longer cared to remember. The People prided themselves on moving beyond this primal, savage magic. It was in the past, they said, a thing that only _humans _would care to learn._

_And now it was the only thing that would save them._

_Oh, the irony._

_He took the Millennium Rod, trying to ignore the pleading look in Seth's eyes, even as he relinquished his Item to the king. He unsheathed it and stood there transfixed. He knew what he had to do, but he could not make his muscles move. Seth did not make it harder by speaking. All the words had been said already. He simply waited for his Pharaoh to act._

_In the distance, but growing closer, Zorc was laughing._

_It was that laughter that gave him the courage to bring down the blade._

_His last memories were of pain and the shadows shrieking, then finally darkness and blessed oblivion._

* * *

Foaly was sitting alone in the Operations Booth when his magic sensors suddenly spiked. Actually, 'spiked' was an inadequate term. They _skyrocketed_. One minute, there were only minute traces, and then the next…KAPOW! Alarm bells went off crazily. Foaly yelped and ended up on the floor as he attempted to lean forward to check the sensors, jump up to alert Julius – temporarily forgetting that the Commander had left over an hour ago – and turn off the alarms, more or less simultaneously.

Fortunately, the door to the Operations Booth was still closed, so none of the LEP operatives noticed the disturbance. Foaly switched off the audible alarms and watched breathlessly as the magic levels continued to rise. He whistled and looked up towards the ceiling.

_Just what in Haven's name is going on up there?_

* * *

The portal came.

* * *

Breathing hurt. His legs and arms would not respond to his commands, and his heart felt strangely heavy, like it was trying to beat through mud.

But there was nothing but wonder in Pharaoh's violet eyes as he finally opened them and stared up at the figures crowded around him.

"I remember."

In that moment, two things happened.

A portal tore itself open not ten feet away, and above the shrieking of the Shadow Realm, Holly, Butler, and Artemis heard the distinctive whine of the bio-bomb.


	22. Chapter 22

"Now would be a very good time for a plan," Holly shouted, jumping to her feet and reaching for her gun.

The portal was widening, Shadows pouring out of it, turning the night to a darker black. In the middle of the whirling shapes, a larger shape was forming. In moments, it had assumed the form of a man. It was like seeing an artist dab a pencil-sketching with color. Shadowy hair turned white, skin darkened, eyes turned from grey to brown. The Shadows peeled away entirely.

Bakura took in the figure of the Pharaoh lying on the ground and laughed. "It seems I've arrived just in time."

The whine of the bio-bomb was growing louder. Holly looked up and saw the distant blue light barreling closer. It would be here in moments. She looked at Artemis and was disconcerted to see the expression in his thin face. For the first time in his life, the great Artemis Fowl was at a loss.

_In a few seconds, we're all going to die._

Bakura lifted his head towards the sky and cursed. "Looks like I'll have to do this quickly."

There was a sound like a thunderclap. The air tore. The Shadows cackled in glee…and swallowed the bio-bomb whole. The distinctive whine cut off abruptly.

In the silence, all eyes turned towards Pharaoh. Somehow, he was standing, his feet set wide apart, his violet eyes suddenly the only light in a darkness that shouldn't have existed. The Millennium Puzzle was glowing like a star.

"You can take all the time you need, Bakura," he said quietly.

Terrible…and beautiful…that was how Pharaoh looked in that moment. Emblazoned across his forehead was the golden eye of Horus, and the Shadows were in his eyes. Bakura's eyes widened involuntarily. Then Pharaoh swayed, his eyes half-closing, hand clutching at Butler's arm for support. The sight gave Bakura courage.

"Five thousand years ago you couldn't beat me," he sneered. "Now look at you! You're barely standing. How can you hope to defeat me now?"

"He won't stand alone," Kaiba said. His expression was fierce as he came up to stand beside Pharaoh. Artemis gasped. Kaiba's blue eyes were strangely luminous, the blue tinged with a familiar gold.

Bakura swore, and the Shadows formed again. With a roar, a monster erupted from thin air in front of him. It had the torso of a man and the lower end of a snake, complete with huge venomous fangs. "Diabound, attack!" A huge ball of magic formed between the creature's hands.

Golden light welled up in Kaiba's eyes. He raised a hand, and the magic erupted from it in an explosion of blue flame. And from that flame…

A dragon.

Everything, from its body armored in interlocking scales as hard as plate to its crested head was made of the purest white. It glittered. It shone. It _awed._ A piercing gaze, the same color as Kaiba's own, eyed Diabound contemptuously. It unfurled its wings – God, they had to be at least fifty feet from tip to tip – and reared up onto its hind legs, letting out a deafening roar.

All this as fast as thought.

Diabound released its magic. The dragon opened its jaws wide and a jet of pure white light sprang forward like an arrow. The magicks warred against each other, neither one gaining dominance. Then, slowly, ever so slowly, Diabound's attack began gaining ground. Kaiba's eyes narrowed in concentration as he fought back, but it was a losing battle. The magic was just too new, and Bakura was just too strong.

Butler acted. Shoving the pharaoh into Artemis' arms, he reached beneath his jacket and pulled out his gun. Ignoring the magical battle going on above his head, he took aim and fired.

Human beings are so fragile. It takes less than ten pounds of pressure to break a collarbone, and less than one to break the skin.

And a bullet exerts far, far more than that.

It slammed into Bakura's shoulder, accompanied by the horrifying crack of breaking bone. The Thief King let loose a piteous scream of agony. His knees buckled, his magic faltered, and Diabound hesitated. Too long. Suddenly free from opposition, the dragon's blast surged forward, overriding the failing remnants of the other monster's attack. The white light struck Diabound directly. With a scream to match its master's, it disintegrated.

Kaiba stalked forward. His blue gold eyes showed no mercy as he glared at the Thief King on the ground. Bakura raised his head, his handsome face contorted by hatred and pain. The dragon's mouth gaped wide, and another burst of white light began to form between its jaws.

"Kaiba, stop!"

If Pharaoh had expected the instant obedience – perhaps his memories were still of Seth –he was sorely disappointed. Kaiba ignored him entirely. By now, the ball of white lightning was nearly large enough to be released. As they watched, the Thief King's eyes softened, the angular face became more round, and the hatred disappeared. Ryou sobbed in agony.

"Seto!"

At the sound of that voice, the dragon's jaws snapped shut immediately, extinguishing the magical attack. Kaiba turned toward Mokuba, the anger in his face warring with remorse at the heartsick expression on the younger boy's face.

"Don't kill him," Mokuba said quietly. "Please don't."

Kaiba stared wordlessly at his younger brother. The emotions ran across his face too quickly to be grasped: reluctance, anger, love, hate.

"Please, Seto."

The dragon disappeared.

Pharaoh was already moving. Wearily, in a way that was more than half a fall, he knelt down at Ryou's side. His hand reached out slowly and touched the boy's shaking head. "I'm sorry, Ryou," he said quietly. "I hate to cause you even more pain."

The Ring was tuned to his power. He had the memories to unlock it. Now he only hoped he had the strength.

* * *

Bakura shrank back into a corner of his soul room, snarling with helpless fury. The walls were crumbling, the floor tearing up beneath his feet. Slowly, but steadily, the Millennium Ring was loosening its grip on Ryou's soul.

_It can't end like this! _

He tried to bend the Ring to his will, but it refused to respond. In five minutes, the Pharaoh was unraveling what had taken the Thief King five thousand years to accomplish.

Blackness began to eat at the corners of his vision. He tried to rise, to stumble to the door of his soul room, but his legs refused to support his weight.

He looked up…and saw Ryou standing before him. The sweet face showed no malice or hatred, only a strange sort of sadness. "Goodbye, Bakura," he said quietly.

Cursing, Bakura was dragged down into the void.

* * *

Pharaoh would have fallen but for Butler, who caught him and lowered him gently to the ground. He lay there, eyes closed, his breathing harsh and uneven.

"I have…released Ryou from the Ring's power…" he managed at last, violet eyes creaking open with an effort. "At least…I think I have."

_**Are you alright? **_Yugi's voice, weak and shaky, but _there_, spoke up for the first time since the spell. Pharaoh's heart leapt within him, and the secret terror that he had been repressing finally died away.

_**Now I am, **_he said fervently, ignoring the aching weariness he felt, pulling the other into a tight embrace in the hallway of their soul rooms. _**Now I am.**_

Ryou had fallen silent. Holly glanced over at him and saw that his chest was still rising and falling, but feebly. The blood streaming from his broken collarbone was a stark contrast to his chalk-white face.

"Haven, couldn't you have shot him in the leg?" she demanded of Butler, kneeling down at the boy's side and feeling for the entry wound.

"He'll survive."

"Barely," she muttered, finally finding the injury itself beneath the thick covering of blood. "Heal." Blue sparks raced down her fingers into the boy's shoulder. He moaned as the bones grated and shifted into their proper place, sealing together with a soft click. This accomplished, they began to knit the skin back together. The bullet fell to the ground. When the last of the sparks faded, Ryou had passed from unconsciousness into a natural sleep.

"Is that it?" Mokuba asked in a small voice.

Kaiba spared a glance at Ryou. "Looks like it."

Suddenly, Mokuba flung his arms around his brother's waist, the only bit he could comfortably reach, and buried his dark head in the folds of his white coat. Tears began streaming down his cheeks.

"Hey…" Kaiba said gently. He dropped to his knees and pulled Mokuba to him in a tight hug. "It's over. It's alright."

Mokuba laid his head on his brother's shoulder, and soon his sobs had trailed away into a series of shuddering sighs. "I'm sorry," he sniffed. "I didn't mean to cry…"

"It's alright," Kaiba repeated, stroking Mokuba's tangled hair. "Don't apologize."

Artemis watched the pair of them, a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach. There was nothing of the harsh, ruthless businessman now, just a boy comforting his little brother. There were still remnants of the magic in Kaiba's eyes, and his face still bore traces of the painful spell he had endured, but he was heedless of that. To him, Mokuba was the entire world.

Suddenly, a mansion didn't seem as important any more.

Inwardly, Artemis groaned. _Will these attacks of conscience _never_ cease plaguing me?_

The sound of footsteps on dry leaves had them all spinning around, Butler and Holly's hands going to their guns. But it was only Julius Root. The LEP commander was breathing hard, his mechanical wings folded against his back. "What did I miss?"

"I died." With Butler's help, Pharaoh managed to pull himself into a sitting position. His violet eyes gleamed with humor.

Root turned purple. "You _WHAT?_"

"We got bio-bombed." Holly this time.

"I summoned the Blue Eyes White Dragon." Kaiba.

"We stopped the Thief King." Butler.

"Oh, and Pharaoh got his memories back." Artemis, smiling smugly.

Root glared at them, then turned to Mokuba. "And I suppose _you _have something to report too?"

"Nope," Mokuba said, hugging his big brother even more tightly. "That just about covers it."

* * *

_**It's not over yet, is it, Pharaoh?**_

Pharaoh sighed. _**No, little one. The fairies still remain to be dealt with. I think the bio-bomb declared their intentions well enough.**_

_**What about the memories? **_Yugi asked. _**Parethmus and Naeglith?**_

_**Don't worry, Aibou**_. _**I have some ideas on that score.**_

The younger boy's voice was determined. _**Wherever you go, I'll be right there by your side.**_

Pharaoh smiled. _**I wouldn't have it any other way.**_

* * *

"Mr. Kaiba."

Kaiba turned slowly at the sound of Fowl's voice, eyes narrowed suspiciously. He felt the magic rising again, the blue once again crowded upon by gold, but with an effort, he forced it down. Mokuba looked anxiously from one to the other.

"What do you want, Fowl?"

"A business partnership."

Even Seto Kaiba could not entirely conceal his shocked reaction. "What?"

Fowl smiled his calculating smile. "I have come to admire you in our encounters, Mr. Kaiba, and despite our…" He paused. "Past grievances, I believe we each have something valuable to offer the other."

Kaiba laughed incredulously. "You want us to _work _together?"

"Yes."

Kaiba's laughter died and his eyes grew cold. "Don't think that because we've shared the same…_experience_" he growled – even now, it hurt to think about the visions – "or because we briefly shared a common enemy that we're friends now, Fowl. I don't forgive so easily."

Fowl just gave him an infuriating smile. "Well, if you change your mind, just give me a call." He started to walk off towards the Bentley, then stopped. "Oh, and you might be needing these back." Reaching into his jacket, he held out Kaiba's confiscated guns.

Kaiba loaded both guns with practiced ease and slid them back into their holsters, all the while resisting the urge to fire a few rounds into Fowl's retreating back.


	23. Chapter 23

The fairy council was in session when the lighting strips began to flicker.

"What is going on?" Councilman Brug barked into the intercom.

"I don't know," a pixie squeaked over the speakers. "All power levels seem to be nor…"

The floor beneath their feet began to shake. The lights were now guttering wildly, and the shadows created by them undulated strangely on the walls. One of them peeled itself away from the others, vaguely humanoid in shape, but with a form that flickered like fire. In the center of the thing's forehead, there was a single golden eye.

"What is the meaning of this?" Councilwoman Vinyáya inquired angrily. "How did you get into the Council chambers?"

A pair of eyes opened beneath the first. These weren't eyes in a traditional sense; they were empty pools of white light.

"You dare to challenge me?" the figure asked. Its voice was deep, commanding, _angry_… Vinyáya felt a shiver run down her spine. "After what you've done?"

"What _are _you?" Hagan whispered, mouth open and eyes wide with fear.

"I am the son of Pharaoh Aknankamon," the creature said. "My name is Atem!"

The Shadows capered wildly, twining themselves around the figure in a mad parody of ecstasy. The fairies all shrank back.

"But perhaps," the figure continued, "you would know me better as the Nameless Pharaoh."

There was an outburst of muttering. Vox was frozen in horror. _The Nameless Pharaoh? He survived?_

"Tell me," the Pharaoh asked, with those two words commanding instant silence. "Is_ this_ how you honor your treaties? Is _this _how you treat your allies?" Though the figure made no movement, the Shadows rose up around him, and the air was pervaded by the taint of his barely contained fury.

"Tell me," the Pharaoh asked, in a voice of deadly calm. "how you ever hoped to survive once your bio-bomb had failed?"

Vinyáya finally found her voice again. "We have launched no bio-bomb," she said. "And I have never heard of a treaty with a Nameless Pharaoh."

"Really?" The Pharaoh's voice nearly dripped with disdain. "I find that hard to believe."

_**She's telling the truth, Pharaoh, **_Yugi said. _**She really doesn't know.**_

_**That's not possible, Aibou. The bio-bomb was launched, and I remember the treaty being signed.**_

_**I know, Pharaoh, but she really doesn't know, **_Yugi insisted. _**I can feel it.**_

Inwardly, the Pharaoh sighed. His aibou had an uncanny ability to read into people, an ability that had only grown stronger with time. He had no choice but to trust Yugi's instincts. But it _did_ leave the Pharaoh in a somewhat awkward position.

Vinyáya shivered as the Pharaoh finally looked away from her, empty white eyes sweeping the room. "Perhaps it was done without your knowledge." His gaze fixed on one member after another, his gaze pinning each of them to their chairs, motionless like rabbits before an eagle. But here, the eagle judged them, stared into their souls, and released him, as he chose. The rabbits could do nothing but tremble and wait.

Vox could not breathe. He could barely think. This was power, devastating power far beyond Vox's comprehension. He had meddled with forces he had barely understood, and now he was about to pay the price.

The Pharaoh's eyes came to rest on him. Vox sat there, paralyzed. _Please look somewhere else,_ he begged. _Don't look at me. I'll do anything. Please… _

Something nagged at the Pharaoh's senses. Fear was pouring from this councilman in waves. Fear, and something else…The Shadows surrounded the fairy, teasing out the elusive emotion, invading his soul in their quest for answers. And then the Pharaoh knew.

It was guilt.

"You tried to kill me." There was no emotion in that voice. No humanity.

Vox squeaked with terror, his face going chalk-white. "P-please," he pleaded. "I…I didn't mean…I…"

"I could forgive that." The Pharaoh's voice was deadly calm. "But what I cannot forgive…"

It was as though all warmth had been drained from the world. The Pharaoh's anger roared up like a tidal wave, the proverbial elephant in the center of the room, impossible to miss. The golden Eye upon his forehead blazed with its intensity.

"Is that you tried to kill my friends."

And that was all the warning Vox had before the Shadows sprang. He screamed and tumbled backwards, the Shadows pursuing him.

"Wait!" Vinyáya threw herself in front of Vox, holding out her hands as though to shield him.

"Get out of the way," the Pharaoh said. His voice was still quiet. Still emotionless. The Shadows were shrieking their impatience in his Shadow-tuned ears. They swirled just inches from Vinyáya, held back by only a sliver of will.

"Who do you think you are?" Vinyáya demanded. "You think you can just barge in here and murder someone before our eyes?"

The Pharaoh's eyes scanned the other Councilmen and a feeling of cold amusement wafted through the room. He _did _think so, and to Vinyáya's eternal shame, he was right. The others were shrinking in their seats, showing no signs of coming to Vox's aid.

But Vinyáya had never shrunk from anything in her life.

"Julius Root told me you were a good king," she challenged. "That you wouldn't misuse your power, and we should try the mind-wipe instead of killing you. But it looks like he was wrong."

At these words, the Pharaoh flinched back as though struck. The Shadows coiled against him once more, and the anger faded slowly from the air.

"We _will _punish him," Vinyáya told him, delivering a death glare over her shoulder at Vox. "But we'll do it our way, not yours."

For a long moment, he said nothing, and she thought he was going to reject her proposal. She tensed, though there was probably nothing she could do if he _did _decide to attack. Then he nodded.

"So be it."

There was a sound like a door slamming, and then both the Pharaoh and the Shadows were gone. The lights came back on. Vinyáya sank to the ground, her knees trembling. Brug let out a sound something between a gasp and a sob.

At that very moment, there was a knock on the door.

"C..come in," Vinyáya managed. She knew she should get up, but she couldn't find the strength.

The door slid open, and Commander Julius Root walked in, holding a sheaf of papers. In a glance, he took in Vinyáya sitting on the floor and the white faces of the other Council members. His brow furrowed.

"What did I miss?"

* * *

The phone rang. Seto glanced at it, and debated not picking up. Mokuba was curled up on the couch, fast asleep. They had been watching a movie, but the past couple of days had finally caught up with Mokuba, and he had drifted off.

The phone rang again. Mokuba stirred slightly in his sleep.

Seto cursed the phone softly under his breath, then picked it up. He carried it into the hallway so as not to disturb his little brother, then put it to his ear.

"Kaiba."

"Mr. Kaiba." Seto stiffened; the voice on the other end of the line was the voice of Ms. Cross.

"Yes?" he said warily.

"I'm calling to inform you that the Board has decided to drop its investigation." Ms. Cross' sounded positively disgusted with the news. "You will be allowed to continue your guardianship of Mokuba Kaiba."

For a moment, Seto could not breathe. "W…what?"

"Do not make me repeat myself, young man," Ms. Cross said sharply. "It seems that the allegations against you were simply slander." She sounded like she didn't believe it.

Seto had recovered command of his faculties. "As I told you all along," he said briskly. "What has caused this…epiphany?"

"We received a phone call from our original source," she said reluctantly. "He claimed that he had only wanted to damage your reputation and that this was all part of a personal vendetta. Once we find him, you will of course have the option of pressing charges."

_You won't catch him._

"But be warned, Mr. Kaiba, we will be watching you."

And with that ominous threat, she hung up.

Moving slowly, Seto put the phone back in the cradle, went into the bathroom, and locked the door. Once the door was safely locked, he slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. Powerful relief was mixed with powerful confusion.

Twenty minutes later, there came a knock. "Seto? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Seto said. His voice sounded thick, unfamiliar, choked with the strong emotions that were now swirling through him. "I'm fine."

"Seto? Please come out."

The worry in his brother's voice finally compelled him to move. He dragged himself to his feet and opened the door.

Mokuba was standing there, his dark hair still ruffled with sleep. Standing there, looking at his little brother, Seto finally understood the full implications of that phone call. His heart leapt.

_It's over. _he realized dizzily. _Mokuba is staying here with me!_

"Seto?" Mokuba asked again. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

"Everything's fine," Seto said, dropping to his knees and folding Mokuba into his arms. "Everything's…everything's perfect."

And there, kneeling on the floor of his mansion, holding his little brother in his arms, Seto did what he had not done in nearly fifteen years.

He cried.


	24. Chapter 24

"_He is dead then."_

_Seth nodded. The new Pharaoh sat his throne regally, Parethmus thought, the way that befit a king. But there was something in his eyes...there was something wretched in that gaze, beneath the power and determination, the look of a man who has watched a loved one die.  
_

"_You are hurt."_

_The pharaoh's hand went to his side. "It is nothing. The healers have seen to it already."_

"_I had not expected you to take the throne so soon."_

"We have a great deal to rebuild."

_Hesitation. Neither one really had that much to say. Parethmus didn't even know what had drawn him here, except…perhaps he had wanted to hear the news with his own ears. _

_Seth's eyes met his and a look passed between them. He understood. _

* * *

When the phone rang, Marik nearly jumped out of his skin. For a long moment, nobody moved.

The phone rang again, loud and strident. This time, Ishizu went to answer it.

"Hello?"

_'Speakerphone!' _Marik mouthed at his sister. _'Put him on speakerphone! _Either she didn't understand, or she liked to torment him, because she just turned away.

Marik seethed.

"It's gone?" Ishizu sounded shocked. "The Ring's spirit is gone? Are you sure?"

_The spirit? The Thief King's spirit? But what…how?_

Ishizu listened for a couple of minutes; evidently he – presumably Ryou – was explaining at length. As she listened, her face grew paler and she swayed.

"Thank you," she whispered into the phone, and hung up.

Marik bounded to his feet, practically dancing in impatience. "Well?"

"That was Ryou," Ishizu said faintly. "He says the Pharaoh has regained his memories and the Thief King has been defeated."

Marik's head spun. The Pharaoh had his memories back? The thought of freedom made his legs tremble. Freedom…for the first time in his life. "Wait a minute!" he yelped. "When did this happen? Why the hell did he take so long to…"

"What about the Council?" Trouble Kelp interrupted.

"Ryou says the danger is over," Ishizu said. Legs trembling, she sank into a chair.

Trouble relaxed. "Well then, I guess my job's over too. I have to get back to work."

Even now, Ishizu did not forget her manners. "My brother and I thank you for all your help," she said sincerely. "We will not forget."

Trouble actually blushed. "It was nothing," he mumbled.

"Thanks anyway," Marik said. _Free! Free! Free! Freely free FREE!_

The fairy gave him an ironic salute as he headed out the door. "Try and stay out of trouble, kid."_]_

_…_

Ishizu smiled. "When has he ever?"

* * *

"He's still sleeping?"

The Pharaoh nodded. Yugi had slept the entire flight home (in a _KaibaCorp_ jet this time), waking only briefly for their encounter with the Council, and then falling asleep again. Now he lay on his bed, the covers pulled up to his chin, dead to the world. The Pharaoh sat beside him. His spirit form seemed more…_solid _to Holly now, his edges more distinct.

"I should not have required so much magic from him in so short a time."

"He'll be alright," Holly said.

"I almost lost him," the Pharaoh said. He reached out and tenderly smoothed a strand of hair back from Yugi's face. It was not quite a _touch_, but Yugi's hair ruffled as from a slight breeze. "I was rash, and foolish, to think regaining my memories would have no cost." His violet eyes were far away.

"Always, others must pay for my mistakes." Then he shook himself and glanced at her. "I must say I'm surprised you're still here."

Holly shrugged. "Wanted to make sure you got back safely. You've grown on me."

"Like a fungus?"

Holly burst out laughing, and the Pharaoh looked away. "It's something Joey says sometimes," he mumbled.

Somehow that struck Holly as even funnier. The Pharaoh looked up at her with a wounded expression. "Not like a fungus," Holly managed. "Maybe like Snortpox on a troll."

The Pharaoh looked at her strangely, then decided that in the end, he didn't really want to know. "Has the Council decided what to do with Vox?"

"Not yet," Holly said, sobering. "I'm guessing a couple of centuries in Howler's Peak. Some of the fairies are already lobbying for Commander Root to take the empty seat on the Council."

"May the gods bless him on whatever path he takes," the Pharaoh said gravely. "And you as well."

Holly's throat felt suspiciously tight. "I should go." She powered up her wings.

He rose to his feet. "Will you stay a little longer? I know Yugi would like to say goodbye."

"Can't," Holly said. "Root wants me back at work." She looked down at the sleeping human and felt a twinge of regret. "You'll tell him…"

"Of course."

There was an awkward moment of silence, then Holly stuck out her hand. "Well, Pharaoh, I guess this is goodbye."

He smiled his radiant smile. "Atem."

She began to vibrate, preparing to shield. "Goodbye, Atem."

Her smile was the last thing to fade.

* * *

"Is she gone?" Yugi struggled into a sitting position, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Yes, Aibou. She's gone."

Yugi looked disappointed. "She didn't wait to say goodbye?"

Atem turned to stare out the window in the direction Holly had gone. "Don't worry, Yugi. I doubt this is the last we've seen of Captain Holly Short."

* * *

The Millennium Puzzle was a labyrinth of stairs and doors, a maze that not even the Pharaoh with his newfound memories had explored in its entirety. It was cold and dark, filled with traps and snares for the unwary. Many had tried to unravel its mysteries, and many had died trying.

In the depths of the maze, beneath a stairwell that led to nowhere, a darkness stirred.

It had no form, this darkness, no body to contain it. But it remembered…yes, it remembered. It remembered sunlight on pale skin, breeze ruffling silver hair, lashes closing on chocolate eyes. The feeling of helplessness. The feeling of pain.

Yes, the darkness remembered. And it hated.

But for now, it lurked in the silence of the Millennium Puzzle, biding its time, nursing its hatred, growing stronger.

Yes, the darkness remembered. And it would not be contained forever.


	25. Chapter 25

"_You know, Hairy, you're not half-bad at this."_

_Mulch didn't answer right away. For one thing, it was hard to hear past the sound of his body digesting clay, and for another, Bakura was staying a _long _way back. They were in the tunnel under the actor's house, and Mulch judged they were about halfway back to where they had started. But when he finally registered Bakura's voice, he turned. In the darkness of the tunnel, the white hair still stood out like a ghostly crown. "In fact, I have a little present for you."_

"_Prth…" Mulch swallowed, coughed, and tried again. "Present?" The pressure in his gut was building. He should be tunneling, not stand around chatting with Bakura, who was clearly a conniving, back-stabbing son of a pixie. But Mulch was intrigued. "What kind of present?"_

_Bakura took a few steps closer, and something glimmered the dim light. As Mulch peered at it, it resolved itself into a bracelet, of pure, perfect gold, emblazoned with the image of a Mud Man lifting a hand to cast a spell._

"_Gold," Bakura purred. "You like gold, don't you, Stinky?"_

_Mulch _did _like gold. His fingers twitched and reached out of their own accord. And then…tingling rushed up Mulch's arm. He tried to step back, but his legs refused to work. His head swam, something was pressing on his ears, there was laughter ringing in his head. Then he blinked, and the world went back into focus. Mulch looked down; a strange bracelet was in his hand._

'_What…"_

_Bakura laughed. "Consider it an advance."_

"Advance?" Mulch said dazedly. "Advance of what?"

_Bakura smirked, and Mulch felt his beard hairs bristle. "Oh," he said. "We have some unfinished business, you and I."_

* * *

The FedEx box sat oh-so-innocently on the corner of his desk. But Kaiba was not taken in by its sweet innocent demeanor; he knew it was a vicious predator, waiting for him to turn his back so it could pounce.

He was going to _kill _Marik Ishtar.

He stretched. A contract was on the computer in front of him, waiting for his approval, but he did not lean forward to read it. The three weeks since the Ritual had been kind to him; he'd slept and eaten and at Mokuba's…um…insistence, he had stayed at home. But nothing could erase the way his eyes had aged.

"Come in, Roland."

There was a startled pause, and then the door opened. The bodyguard came in, carrying a stack of design schematics, which he set down next to Kaiba's elbow. He paused.

Kaiba sighed, and looked up. "Was there something else?"

The bodyguard looked uncomfortable. "If you don't mind me asking, sir…I hadn't knocked."

Kaiba paused, and a flood of emotions flickered across the usually expressionless face. Realization, irritation, hesitation, resolution. And then, for the first time that Roland could ever remember, a kind of peace.

"Magic, Roland." He went back to typing, the mask firmly back in place. "Magic."

* * *

Artemis had spent the last few days planning what he was going to tell his parents when they returned from France. As it turned out, he needn't have worried. He had just opened his mouth when his mother crushed him to her chest, and he inhaled the smell of her perfume. "Oh Arty, are you alright?"

"I am fine," he managed. Angeline Fowl didn't let him go. If anything, she held him tighter.

"Mother…"

"Are you _sure_ you're alright?"

"Yes, Mother. I was not in the house."

"I thought I told you to stop calling me 'Mother'." She released him, visibly trying to calm herself. "It sounds so formal."

Artemis sighed in relief. "Sorry, Moth…Mom."

"What happened?" a deeper voice rumbled. Artemis almost unconsciously straightened as his father stepped into view.

"The police are still trying to determine the facts," he said, clearing his throat and trying his best to meet Fowl Sr.'s eyes. "I'm sorry, Father. The insurance will cover most of the damage, but the irreplaceable items…"

His eyes widened in surprise as his father enfolded him in a hug. "It's just a house. And they're just things. You're safe; that's all that matters."

_I intend to seize the day. Be the hero that every father should be._

Behind his father's back, Artemis held tightly to the check that had come the day before. Half a billion dollars, courtesy of Seto Kaiba.

_It's just a house. And they're just things._

He still had to deal with Kaiba, and potentially with the LEP as well. Tomorrow he would have to start rebuilding. Going legitimate was going to be difficult.

But today, Artemis allowed himself to relax in his father's arms.

* * *

Three weeks after the "Magic Mud Men" problem had finally been resolved, Commander Julius Root sent two of his best operatives to the surface on another top secret mission requiring absolute radio silence.

"I love my job." Holly lay on the hill overlooking the water, the same hill they had been on before the whole mess started. Trouble was sprawled out a few feet away.

"To be honest, I'm surprised we still have a job," he said. "I mean, after the thing with the Council. They usually don't take so kindly to disobeying orders."

Holly was quiet for a long time. "There was something about him," she said, unusually contemplative. "The Pharaoh, I mean. Something that made it impossible _not _to try and help him."

Trouble chuckled. "Hey, from what you said, he made even Fowl behave. I'm perfectly willing to believe he's magical."

Holly grinned too. "Magic Mud Men."

"Don't say that around the Commander."

They both laughed, followed by a comfortable silence.

At that very moment, Holly's helmet began to beep.

* * *

"Commander, would it _kill _you to smoke outside?"

Root exhaled. "You know what, Foaly? I've worked my butt off over the past couple of weeks. I stopped a bio-bomb…"

"That was Pharaoh."

"I defeated Bakura…"

"Also Pharaoh."

"I was alone in a shuttle for eight hours with Mulch Diggums."

"Okay," Foaly said after a moment. "Good point. But that was three weeks ago, Julius…"

"And _then_," Root said, overriding him. "I had to deal with the Council trying to get me to _join _them, if you can believe it, and they don't like being told no."

Foaly's jaw dropped. "You…you refused the promotion?"

"I'm not Councilman material," Root mumbled. "I like it here."

Though he would never admit it, Foaly was touched. "Commander…"

"All in all…" Root added, breaking what threatened to be a sentimental moment, "I deserveto smoke my cigars wherever I darn well please." Then he smirked, and it was a terrifying thing. "Besides, someone has to keep all you misfits in line."

"Never figured you for a mother hen, Julius."

Root's beefy face went even redder. "Don't call me Julius!"

Foaly hid a grin. Apparently, things were back to normal. "About those screens…"

"With what we pay you, you can certainly afford to replace a few screens." He was using that "don't screw with me or I will personally wrap you in aluminum foil and send you to ride a magma flare" tone, and for once, Foaly heeded his common sense. He went back to typing, and Root went back to smoking…and breathing that smoke on the horrendously expensive screens.

"There's just one thing that bothers me," Root said, and Foaly looked up from his work.

"That you have no sense of humor?"

Root's face went the color of an eggplant. "Shut up, Centaur!" he roared, eyes narrowing dangerously. Foaly smirked. It was almost not worth baiting him.

Almost.

"I'm all ears."

"Ears don't blabber."

Foaly heaved a martyred sigh. "It's an expression, Julius." So literal.

For a moment, Root's hands twitched, as though he was seriously considering strangling the centaur right now with his own two hands. Fortunately for Foaly (and for Root; the paperwork would have been horrendous), he restrained the impulse.

"Why was the file about the treaty blank?" he asked instead. "If Vox didn't do it…"

"It was Naeglith."

The name wasn't familiar. "Who?"

Foaly sighed again for dramatic effect. "One of the fairy representatives who helped sign the treaty with the Pharaoh."

Root was nonplussed. "Why did he erase it?"

"Don't look at me," Foaly said, raising his hands. "Maybe he didn't really trust the Pharaoh, and wanted to make sure the People's hands weren't tied if they ever had a problem with the Magic Mud Men. Maybe he didn't want to relieve painful memories. Maybe he figured with the Pharaoh's death it just didn't matter anymore."

"Maybe he didn't like his successor."

Foaly shrugged. "Who knows? He's been dead for five thousand years."

"That's _it?_" Root asked incredulously. "You thought it was important to tell me that a five-thousand-year-old dead guy deleted the files?" (He had heard about the face-planting incident).

Foaly was offended. "You said you wanted to know the _instant _I found anything."

"Don't quote my own words back at me, Pony."

Foaly opened his mouth for an incredibly witty comeback, but a beeping from one of the computers distracted him. He accessed the surface camera.

"Uh oh. We've got a runner."

Root glanced at the screens. "A troll," he muttered. "It has to be a troll."

Foaly was already typing things and checking screens. "Heading towards Dublin. It'll take hours to get an operative up there…"

"No need," Root said, airily waving a hand. "Holly and Trouble are topside as we speak."

"Another special black-ops mission?" Foaly asked.

"None of your business," Root snapped. "Can you open a channel?"

"Can a dwarf…"

Root reached over and pushed the button himself. "Party's over, boys and girls," he barked. "Back to work." He drew in a deep mouthful of smoke and exhaled with a contented sigh. "I love happy endings."

Root might not have been so happy if he could have seen what was currently happening in the holding cells.

* * *

Artemis Fowl watched as the data scrolled across the screen, the stolen KaibaCorp files being returned to their proper owner. Somewhat regretfully, he watched several billion dollars in profit go down the drain.

Kaiba sat at his desk, hands steepled under his chin, watching through his laptop as the transaction took place. He cleared his throat.

"Are you feeling alright?" Artemis asked. "Perhaps a cough drop?"

"Thank you," Kaiba said, and the smile he offered was drop-dead eerie. "My throat's just a little…tight."

Clearly, he was not a firm believer in subtlety. Artemis treated the CEO to his best vampiric smile. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Kaiba."

"I will of course require access to your computer systems to check for any remaining traces of my files."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "You still don't trust me?"

The answering glare could have peeled paint. Artemis heaved a martyred sigh. "Very well."

Kaiba caught Artemis' gaze. It was like their first meeting; those eyes pierced him like daggers. A glint of gold flickered in their depths. "Listen, Fowl. I have agreed to this partnership, but if you attempt to cross me again, you will regret it."

Artemis sat forward too, and on the screen, Kaiba visibly tensed. "And if you attempt to betray _me, _I will take you down."

A slight smile flickered across Kaiba's face. "Just as long as we understand each other."

Artemis allowed himself a very small smile in return. "Oh yes, Mr. Kaiba. We understand each other perfectly."

Kaiba's face disappeared.

Artemis sat back in his chair with a satisfied smirk, and his hand went to the gold pendant hanging around his neck. Or at least, it looked like gold. In reality, the pendant contained a disk, painted over with a thin coat of gold leaf.

Inside the disk was a copy of the stolen files.

Just in case.

* * *

If it had been up to Commander Julius Root, Mulch Diggums would have rotted away in a jail cell for the next hundred years, the boredom occasionally punctuated by a roommate, which, if Root had any sway in the matter, would be a troll.

But for better or for worse, it was not up to Julius Root.

Which was why Mulch Diggums, kleptomaniac dwarf and housebreaker extraordinaire, was currently sitting in the Haven holding cells, awaiting the arrival of his next substandard, court-provided lawyer. Root _had _insisted on a babysitter though, something about "has a habit of stealing everything not welded down" and "chewing holes in walls" and "if he escapes, heads are going to roll."

At this point, the officer (as luck would have it, the same officer who had so recently contributed to Mulch's arrest) was starting to consider this to be a small price to pay.

"Hey, Officer. How about some music?"

The elf groaned. "For the last time, Convict, _no _music. Your lawyer should be here any minute…" He trailed off hopefully.

Mulch snorted. "He should have been here an hour ago. Face it, Pixie Dust, he's not coming."

The officer blanched. "No…" he stammered. "He'll come…he…" He trailed off again, and repressed the urge to just sit down and cry.

Mulch gave him his best wide-eyed earnest stare. "Don't worry. Julius probably won't leave us in here _forever_."

At the thought of an eternity trapped in here with Mulch, the officer's courage failed him. He stumbled from the room, clutching his stomach, muttering something about "lie down" and "be sick." The door slammed shut behind him.

Mulch grinned, and his dark eyes glittered gold.

* * *

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Kaiba."

Seto eyed his opponent narrowly. Just looking at Fowl's face made the magic stir. _I give this partnership two months. Max. _"I will of course require access to your computer systems to check for any remaining traces of my files." _Then again, I hate _most_ of the people I work with._

Fowl smirked. "You still don't trust me?"

_You still think I'm an idiot?_

Fowl sighed. "Very well."

Seto stared into the other boy's eyes, letting the magic rise. "Listen, Fowl. I have agreed to this partnership, but if you attempt to cross me again, you will regret it."

"And if you attempt to betray _me, _I will take you down."

Seto allowed a tiny smile to cross his face. "Just as long as we understand each other." _Bring it on._

"Oh yes, Mr. Kaiba. We understand each other perfectly."

He cut the connection. And as he did so, a tiny virus was released into Fowl's computer. Unnoticed, undetectable by Fowl's security system – the quick peek Seto'd just gotten into Fowl's system had convinced him of that – it would remain inactive…unless of course one of the stolen KaibaCorp files was accessed.

At that point, the virus would awaken, erasing the offending file and the rest of Fowl's files for good measure.

Just in case.


End file.
